Every Rom Com 73: The Idea of You

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Jen. [00:00:02] Speaker B: I'm Serena. [00:00:03] Speaker C: And I'm Sophia. [00:00:05] Speaker A: And you're listening to Every Rom com, the podcast where we have fun taking romantic comedy seriously. [00:00:11] Speaker B: This week on Every Rom com, we're continuing our LA Story series with a movie about falling in love with a celebrity. [00:00:19] Speaker C: We'll talk about boy bands and their fandoms. [00:00:23] Speaker A: We'll dive deep into the careers of Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, and a pair of accomplished women writers. [00:00:30] Speaker B: And we'll take another look at age gap relationships as we discuss the 2024 film, the idea of. Hello. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Hello, Serena and hello, Sophia. I can't believe we're all together again. I'm so excited. [00:01:07] Speaker C: It's been a long time. [00:01:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I was looking and it was like the Can't Hardly Wait episode is the last time all three of us were on the same recording together. And that was also with Sybil. And that was such a fun episode. But as many of our listeners may already know, the podcast has been like, kind of on hiatus for a while, but hopefully we're going to be back on a pretty consistent basis for you now. So I'm really glad to talk with both of you guys again. I missed our conversations quite a bit and I wanted to find out some of the things that you both been doing, like, if you want to tell our listeners anything you've been up to since the last time they heard from. [00:01:42] Speaker C: You, Truly, not much has been going on. A fun thing that I am doing. I've been a part of the Screenwriters Workshop here in the Twin Cities and as of this year, I am a new board member, which is exciting. I've been to a couple board meetings, I updated the monthly newsletter and I took on the fun job of putting. We do a table reading of somebody's screenplay every few months and we get local actors. Being the Twin Cities, there's a lot of talent to come and do a live table reading. And so a screenwriter gets to hear their feature film read by actors. And it's a fun, a super fun time. But putting it together, you know, getting people to reply and stuff like that, that's always a little nerve wracking. But that's, that's what we're doing now. [00:02:48] Speaker A: Yeah, I bet you're doing a great job, Sophia. That's cool. It sounds like such a cool project. And like, yeah, if you want to, if you want to provide like a sort of a contact where people who might want to get involved in that can sign up, yeah, we'll put it in the show. Notes. [00:03:04] Speaker C: Oh, that'd be so great. Sure. [00:03:07] Speaker A: How about you, Sarita? What have you been up to? [00:03:09] Speaker B: Well, last summer I did some big traveling. My boyfriend and I hiked the Camino de Santiago, which is a big hiking trail in Spain. So, yeah, we hiked over 500 miles. It took many, many weeks. So that was a really fun thing that we did. And then we came back here and I'm still captaining. I'm still a boat captain, still live on our sailboat. It's been kind of a weird. A weird season as far as, like, tourism is concerned here. Yeah, you know, it's. It's changing. It's a changing, changing environment. But, you know, it's all good. We're trucking along, you know, same old, same old. [00:03:50] Speaker A: You can always count on Serena to, like, have travel stories. Like, you and Sybil are like the travel co hosts. Like, you're always going places. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, yeah, I've just been trying to get our podcast up and running again. And I've been on the Internet a lot less, which has been very good for me. I read one of those books about how the Internet is, like, destroying our brains and like, which it's called the Shallows is the one I read that finally, like, got me to, like, be scared straight. And so I've been doing a lot more reading and a lot less time on social media, but I'm still will talk movies with you on our social media if you. If you wander over there. So I still do that sometimes. So. All right, so as to. We. We talked a little bit about what we're doing. I've already talked about some of my favorite Los Angeles set movies in another episode. But I wanted to know if there are a couple of movies set in LA that you guys particularly like. [00:04:41] Speaker B: I was trying to think about this today, and do you guys remember the movie go that came out in like the. [00:04:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:04:47] Speaker B: Mid. [00:04:47] Speaker A: Of course. 90s was 1999, I think. I think it was 1999, I think. [00:04:53] Speaker B: And I feel like that a lot of that took place in LA and I. I really love that movie. LA in the 90s. Anyway, so that's. That's the movie that came up when I thought about that. [00:05:04] Speaker A: Yeah. No, there's that great LA to Vegas trip and like, lots of craziness. That was a fun movie. Yeah. [00:05:11] Speaker C: The thing that came to mind was LA Confidential. [00:05:14] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:05:14] Speaker C: Which I loved. And. Oh, what's the name of it? With Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise. Jamie Foxx is the taxi driver. And Tom Cruise is the assassin guy. And Jamie Foxx gets like wrapped up in his whole thing. Well, it's filmed in LA at night and the director, who I believe is Michael Mann, like, made a big point about showcasing LA at night. And that was important. I mean, it was very cool. What the hell was that movie called? [00:05:46] Speaker A: I don't know, Sophie. I'm sorry. [00:05:48] Speaker B: I, like, I can see Jamie Foxx. I see him. I. I know. Yeah. [00:05:54] Speaker A: It's just not my preferred genre, but I totally remember hearing about this movie. I'm sure some of our listeners know and are screaming it at the, you know, radio right now. [00:06:02] Speaker C: I know. So, yeah, I hate it when that happens. [00:06:05] Speaker A: It's okay. Anyway, so we got a few of your LA movies and I'm sure our listeners have some favorites too. So if you want to share your favorite LA movies with us, please feel free to get in touch with [email protected] we're recording a couple more of these LA episodes and I'd love to read some of your favorites in the episode. So before we get started today, a few notes. First, as usual, there will be a spoiler free section at the beginning of the episode and we will warn you when the spoilers are about to start. [00:06:34] Speaker C: We'd also like to remind you that you can follow the podcast on social media. Our Facebook page is everyromcom podcast and blog. Our Instagram is at every rom com, our Twitter handle is at everyromcompod and you can also find us on Blue sky at every rom com. [00:06:54] Speaker B: And as always, you can find the [email protected]. send us [email protected] and if you like what you hear, please rate, review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. [00:07:10] Speaker A: And if you'd like to help support our show financially, we're always grateful to people who visit our Buy me a coffee [email protected] everyromcom all donations go towards producing the show and it really helps. [00:07:24] Speaker C: And in honor of our LA series, we'd like to invite any listeners who can to donate to one of the many organizations which are helping Los Angeles residents in the wake of the January 2025 fire. You can find a list of some of these organizations in our show notes. [00:07:40] Speaker B: And now let's get into the episode by listening to the trailer for the Idea View. [00:07:47] Speaker A: How did you guys meet? We need to know the story. We met a Coachella. [00:07:53] Speaker B: Hi. Hi. This is your trailer? [00:07:56] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm in the band. We're Performing on the main stage, August Moon. Yeah, I met someone tonight. I feel a little inspired. This one's called Closer. [00:08:06] Speaker B: Cause I want to get closer to you. [00:08:10] Speaker A: Now, Selen, we need you up front. Okay. Like now. I don't know if you remember me, but we met in Coachella. Yes, I remember you. Well, I desperately need some artwork. [00:08:26] Speaker B: Why don't we start in the back? [00:08:29] Speaker A: I like these. [00:08:30] Speaker B: Ah, fantastic. [00:08:32] Speaker A: This piece is from my friend Sarah. What's it called? [00:08:35] Speaker C: Unclose Me. [00:08:37] Speaker A: What do you feel when you look at it? Everything. [00:08:48] Speaker C: What is that song? [00:08:50] Speaker A: It's nothing really. I like it. Yeah? Yeah. I'm too old for you I got lost I took a little time to breathe. [00:09:12] Speaker C: I'm living in the new normal, baby. [00:09:17] Speaker A: What about what people will say? I don't care what they say. [00:09:23] Speaker C: We're gonna. [00:09:33] Speaker A: All right. It was actually painful to turn the song off, but I had to do it. Yeah. Apparently that trailer was like hugely popular when it came out. It was like their most watched trailer for like one of their streaming movies ever, and I can see why. Yeah. Have you guys watched the actual trailer? Like, or like. [00:09:53] Speaker C: Yeah, Yeah, I must have because I was looking forward to then watching it, the whole thing. [00:09:58] Speaker A: Yeah, they did. [00:09:59] Speaker C: Ooh, that's hot. [00:10:00] Speaker A: Yeah, they did quite a clever job. Hypiness, which we'll like, kind of go into a bit later. Yeah. Anyway, yeah, we'll tell a little bit about the movie now. [00:10:09] Speaker C: Sure. The Idea of youf came out May 2, 2024. It's written by Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeld and it's based on the novel by Robin Lee. It's directed by Michael Showalter and it's starring Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine and Ella Rubin. [00:10:30] Speaker B: So the basic premise of the Idea View is selene is a 40 year old divorced mother and art gallery owner living in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. When her ex husband bails on a father daughter trip to Coachella, Selene takes his place and ends up meeting 24 year old Hayes Campbell, one of the members of the boy band August Moon, who is instantly attracted to her. Hayes finds Selene again at her art gallery. They end up kissing, and despite initially rejecting him, she later accepts his invitation to visit him in New York with her daughter at camp for the summer. And Hayes having bought all the art in her gallery, Selene agrees to join Hayes and August Moon on their European tour. But both their age gap and his celebrity caused problems for the pair of. [00:11:20] Speaker A: Yeah, so there's a lot of promo information out there about the Idea of youf, so I was able to learn a fair amount of interesting facts. So. The Idea of youf is based on a 2017 novel by author and actress Robin Lee. The book was initially picked up by producer and actress Gabrielle Union in 2018, and Union and Lee were longtime friends and had acted together in the 2003 film Deliver Us From Eva. Gabrielle Union brought in producer Kathy Schulman, and Kathy Shulman has 28 production credits, including the Woman King, the Edge of Seventeen, and Crash, for which she won an Oscar. Did you guys. Were you aware of how many, like, women were involved in producing this? I had no idea. [00:12:02] Speaker B: I kind of did because I. I had watched one the first time I watched it. I did watch a lot of interviews and Anne Hathaway was very promoting how, like, female centric this movie was, including her, the producers, writers. So I did know that, actually, yeah. [00:12:20] Speaker A: I was like, I was pleasantly surprised. I mean, it does feel like a lot of women influenced this film, but, like, just so many accomplished women. Okay. So after the production team was assembled, Michael Showalter was brought in to direct, and then he brought in another woman producer, Jordana Malik, who he works with regularly. So one of the lines you'll often hear when people talk about this movie in the novel is that it began as Harry Styles fan fiction. The authors felt pretty annoyed by this because she says while Harry Styles was one of her early inspirations, the character of Hayes Campbell was an amalgamation of many people, including her husband, her ex boyfriends, other famous British celebrities. And she actually worked with one of the members of New Kids on the Block at one point in her career on a project. So she was able to learn a lot from him as well. Robin Lee told Vogue that this was never supposed to be a book about Harry Styles. It was supposed to be a story about a woman approaching 40 and reclaiming her sexuality and rediscovering herself, just at the point that society traditionally writes women off as desirable and viable and whole. Robin Lee was not involved in adapting the work for the screen. She told Owl magazine she wished she had been and said the movie is kind of like a second cousin to her book. But she does have positive things to say about the way the movie turned out. She understands they needed to make changes to adapt it. And yeah, as I said, we'll talk about Robin Lee more at the end of the episode. She's a really interesting person. I was really happy to learn about her now back into the production of the movie. Anne Hathaway was always the Top choice for Solene. In fact, the producers and writers were working on the screenplay with her in mind, which is not something people in Hollywood usually do, but she agreed to it right away. And though a number of actors were considered for Hayes Campbell, director Michael Showalter said he was sure about Nicholas Galitzine. After talking with him on a zoom the night before his audition, Showalter told Business Insider that Galitzine had all the qualities they were looking for and said there was something extra. He's confident, but also vulnerable. He's funny. He's obviously great looking. He can do the dramatic acting. He's an incredible musician. He's believable as a star, but there's a humility and a real person quality to him, end quote. And, yeah, I could. I think this is probably one of the perfect casting choices of all time, honestly. [00:14:45] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I'm going to go ahead and agree with that off the cuff. They have great chemistry. They're both very pretty. And, yeah, the guy sings in other films. He sings. [00:15:01] Speaker B: So I felt like you weren't really distracted too much by. He wasn't like a super famous star already, so I feel like you weren't really distracted by that. You could kind of put this character into him because you hadn't really seen him in much else. [00:15:15] Speaker A: But, like, also, like, to get somebody who can seem like the lead of a boy band basically, you know, and just like, walk right into that. That's. That's kind of special. Especially because, like, apparently dancing was not one of his regular natural strength strengths. He told W magazine that all the other boys in August Moon, the. The band were professional dancers. So not actors, but dancers. But he had to work to learn the moves, like in kind of like a boy band boot camp, like, just learning the movies over and over again. The other members of August Moon, as I said, were all professional dancers. They weren't singers or actors. They were portrayed By Raymond Sham Jr, Victor White, Dakota Aden and Jaden Anthony. Man, some of these guys, like, have boy band names already. What's going on? Anyway, they brought in then choreographer Danny Vitale, and she has worked with groups like BTS and the Jonas Brothers, and she helped them give them, like, that boy band, like, choreography vibe. And then, like, even wilder, like, they brought in, they. So, like, the care they put into this movie really matters, right? Like, I think some of these streaming movies are just kind of thrown together, right? And they're like maybe just like a half step above a Hallmark movie. But like here it's like they brought In a man who had written movie music for boy bands in the past, they brought in this guy, Savin Katecha. He wrote what Makes yous Beautiful for One Direction. He's written for Ariana Grande. He's written for The Weeknd, Maroon 5, the Irish Boy band Westlife. So, like, they brought somebody who's already written this kind of music. And he approached it like he wanted to make real songs. He told a panel discussion at Deadline Sound and Screen Showcase, quote, in creating the songs, I didn't want to rate movie songs. I wanted these songs to be competitive. And, like, yeah, they are. [00:17:04] Speaker B: That's awesome. [00:17:04] Speaker A: Yeah, they actually released the songs before the movie came out. They started with Dance Before we walk on March 6, 2024, and they released a couple more singles before the movie as well. And the music ended up becoming very popular, like on Spotify. It had over 100 million downloads as of November 2024. And currently the official video for Guard down that they made has 1.9 million views on YouTube. So. [00:17:29] Speaker C: Yeah, that's amazing. [00:17:31] Speaker A: Yeah, but I mean, some of them are on my YouTube playlists. Like, I have, like. I don't really do Spotify. I, like, listen to music on YouTube. I know it's weird, but I have some of them on my playlist. So. Serena, I think you alluded to, like, having this music, your playlist too, at one point. [00:17:48] Speaker B: Oh, definitely. Yeah. Because I think this movie came out last summer. Right? So it was definitely, like. It was like on my beach. My. My beach. Music listening. And I remember my friends would be like, what is this? I was like, oh, it's from this movie about a boy band. They're like, this is. [00:18:02] Speaker A: This is. [00:18:02] Speaker B: I've never heard this. And I'm like, yeah, no, it's great. [00:18:08] Speaker A: So, like, 7K said that, like, some of the songs actually got radio play, and people in the music industry thought August Mutant was a real band, some of them. And we're trying to, like, get in touch with, like, them to, like, make appearances and stuff. [00:18:23] Speaker C: So. [00:18:24] Speaker A: Yeah. And Kotecha basically said Nicholas Galitzine could just transition into being a pop star, like, tomorrow if he wanted to. Which, yeah, I totally. I would. I would buy their album if they made songs like that. I'd be like, okay, sure. Yeah, let's. Let's get it. So kind of awkwardly for our LA Story series. So, like, I chose this movie for the LA Story series because, like, you know, the beginning, it's like, oh, Silver Lake, you know, la. But apparently, like, not anything in this. Nothing in this Movie was filmed in Los Angeles. Even the stuff that looks like Silver Lake at the beginning, apparently, like, was, like, digitally enhanced areas of Georgia. Like, the whole thing was shot in Georgia. So now I feel kind of dumb, but, like, at the same time, I've always wanted to cover this movie, so whatever. I think we could. We can say there's an LA tie in with the. With the celebrity theme, right? [00:19:12] Speaker C: Sure. They're supposed to be in la. [00:19:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:19:16] Speaker C: So, yeah, like, can't help it if they lied. And they filmed in Atlanta. [00:19:24] Speaker A: Yeah, Atlanta and Savannah. And apparently the south of France, where they go swimming is actually Georgia. Savannah, Georgia in October. And they were freezing, so that's super fun. A few more facts. The Idea View was primarily a streaming release, but it did have a premiere at south by Southwest and some theater screenings. It was a huge success on streaming. Amazon reported around 50 million viewers in its first two weeks, which I guess is a lot. Like, it's hard for me to really get my mind around what that means. But it became Amazon's number one romantic comedy debut of all time. So cool. Okay, so. And then this is a quote from. This is a quote from the panel discussion I alluded to at the 92nd street why? So the female producers of the Idea View were discussing the film's appeal. Asked why we don't see more films like this, Idea View, producer Gabrielle Union said, quote, I think people are very comfortable telling women who they should be, what they should be, and how they should be doing it, and how much that should cost and what size you should be while you do it. And anything outside of the male gaze shouldn't exist because they can't imagine it. Meanwhile, we're starving to see ourselves. We're starving to see complex, nuanced stories about our lives. We're desperate for it. And every time one comes out, follow the money, it works. But somehow people get amnesia every single time. So, you know, you can chalk that up to good old misogyny sexism. All the isms. But this particular movie, and so many like it, they're too powerful to be held back. They're just too powerful to be held back. And I was like, yeah, that was like, right, right. [00:21:03] Speaker C: 50 million views. Number one romantic comedy debut. She's right. Good grief. The money always shows up. People come out, they want to see it. Women. Women come out and want to see it. And then they're like, what? [00:21:18] Speaker A: What? [00:21:18] Speaker C: Try that again. [00:21:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, honestly, that. That statement she made. That statement she made is like half of why I do this podcast. Like, half of why I wanted to start it. It's just to, like, to show people these movies matter and there's. There are important messages in them and people like them. And like, we don't need to be, like, embarrassed to love rom coms, right? [00:21:38] Speaker C: Like 100%. [00:21:41] Speaker A: All right, so we've talked a little bit about our opinion of the movie, but let's. Let's just kind of talk about when you saw it and like, if it's one of the ones you watch all the time and any other. Anything else you want to say about the movie you want to start, Serena? [00:21:54] Speaker B: Yeah, sure. Yeah. So I first saw the idea of you last summer when it first came out. I believe I did watch it a couple of times. I also went and watched the music videos on YouTube. I downloaded a lot of the music. So, yeah, I'm. I. I really liked it. It's. It's kind of one of those things you can sort of put in the background and. And enjoy it while you're doing other things. So that's kind of what the movie was for me last summer. [00:22:28] Speaker A: So how many times do you think you watched it? Like, all together? [00:22:31] Speaker B: Like, I mean, maybe. Maybe not that many times. Maybe four or five times. I think I've watched it. [00:22:37] Speaker A: Okay. I've still. I'm probably about equal with you then. Yeah. [00:22:40] Speaker C: Okay. [00:22:41] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. [00:22:42] Speaker A: How about you? So what's your. [00:22:44] Speaker C: You know, just twice. I mean, I. I did enjoy it. I liked it. There's. It. Something about it makes me. I mean, it makes me sad too. Like, there's so much longing in a way that. I don't know. It made me sad again this time. It. And yet there's so many moments that are like, fun and super hot and I was like, woo. Fire. So just twice. But that doesn't mean I don't like it. Sometimes I like things so much, I don't want that. I don't want to wear them out, you know? [00:23:21] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. No, I. I think, like. Yeah, I think maybe you're onto something with, like, there is so much longing. And there are some serious things that get dealt with in the movie too. So. Yeah. It's not just a. Just not just a frothy concoction. [00:23:34] Speaker C: Yeah. I. I can be specific. Maybe now or hold it for later. But like, her relationship with her daughter is a big deal. Oh. [00:23:42] Speaker A: Y. [00:23:44] Speaker C: And so you know what she will do for her daughter. And I've got one of those. [00:23:50] Speaker A: So I'm like. It's hitting you on multiple levels. [00:23:55] Speaker C: Yes. [00:23:57] Speaker A: Yeah. So for me, I Recently read a book. Okay. I read a book called the Romcom ers by Katherine center, which is a really fun book, by the way. It's not my favorite book ever, but I think it's good. And if you're somebody who likes rom coms and also likes to read romance books, you might enjoy it. But there's a quote from this novel, and one of the characters is trying to tell this guy who kind of dismisses rom coms, like, what a good rom com is, like, how you write a good ROM com. And so there's a couple parts to the quote. The first part, the job of a ROM com is to give you a simulated feeling of falling in love. And then she follows that up. A ROM com should give you a swoony, hopeful, delicious, rising feeling of anticipation as you look forward to the moment when the two leads, who are clearly made for each other, finally overcome all their obstacles, both internal and external, and get together. End quote. And, like, when I read that and then I watched this movie for the podcast, like, I was like, this. This move that explains why this movie works perfectly. Because it does that. Like, there are rom coms that unfortunately don't really achieve this goal. You know, maybe they don't linger enough in the swoony, hopeful anticipation part. Like, sometimes they just get people together really f past. Or. Or they're afraid to be too earnest. You know, they're, like, making things more jokey or whatever. But this movie really puts you into it. It really, like, more than most. I feel like I got a simulated feeling of falling in love. Like, there's a part I'm gonna talk about later where, like, I literally can't watch it without rewinding it. Like, to watch the expressions on their face again, Like, I'm not kidding. Like, I mean, they just. The actors do such a great job, but I think the script is also just, like, so well done that it gives the story a little bit of time to breathe and it develops the characters. And so I. Yeah, I feel like this is, like, one of the best ones, even though it's not like, a, you know, strictly generic ROM com. Or maybe because it's not a strictly generic ROM com. Like, I think it's really successful at doing what a ROM com should do. So, yeah, yeah, that's. That's. And I've seen them. I saw. When it first came out, I think I was aware of it, too. Like, they did a really good marketing job on this movie. They put it out there. And. Yeah, I've seen it probably at least four or five times. They didn't all make my litter box, though, because it's one of those that I have, like, turned off in the middle before because, like, I don't know, I. For me, I don't put it on in the background. I have to watch the whole thing. So if I'm not really ready to pay attention, I will just turn it off and come back to it later. Yeah. Anyway. All right, so we're going to talk about now the cast and crew of the idea of you. So we already covered writer and director Michael Showalter on every rom com episode 20 Wet Hot American Summer. So go ahead and check that out. Serena tells some pretty good camp stories in that one. I do just. I do just want to put in, though, that I love Michael Showalter. I have now watched all of his films, and he's really great at the romance genre. And I may be talking about one of his films in the double features later. So there you go. [00:26:56] Speaker C: Cool. [00:26:57] Speaker A: And so now I'm going to talk about, though, Anne Hathaway. Who? It's kind of amazing. We haven't covered her yet. Like, she hasn't actually done that many rom coms, but I feel like she has. Do you know what I mean? [00:27:06] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:27:09] Speaker A: So Anne Hathaway was born November 12, 1982 in Brooklyn. She was raised in New Jersey from age six. Her mother. Okay, this is interesting. Her mother was an actress whose maiden name was Kate McCauley. And when. When Hathaway was young, her mom was in the first national touring production of Les Miserables. So Anne Hathaway. Yeah, Anne Hathaway spent time on the road with her mom, which inspired her interest in theater. And at one point, her mom played Fantine, you know, the role that Hathaway ended up playing in the Les Miserables movie. So isn't that wild? Isn't that funny? [00:27:41] Speaker C: Yeah, that's awesome. [00:27:43] Speaker A: During school, Hathaway appeared in different theater productions at her school, and she also studied acting. Apparently, this is prestigious, Sophia, you can tell us if you've heard of this. She studied acting with a New York theater company called the Barrow Group. Have you heard of them? Sophia? [00:27:57] Speaker B: No. [00:27:59] Speaker C: Gonna be honest. Missed that. Missed that one. [00:28:03] Speaker A: It can't be that prestigious. Then Barrow Group. I don't know. [00:28:07] Speaker C: Maybe it will come to me later. Be like, oh, of course. Duh. [00:28:11] Speaker A: Like. [00:28:11] Speaker C: But at the moment, no. [00:28:15] Speaker A: So Hathaway's first IMDb credit, though, was at 16 years old for the TV show Get Real, which ran from 1999 to 2000. But then, like, her first feature film, though, was also her breakout role, which is, of course, the Princess Diaries. So she did a few more teen and young adult roles, including The Princess Diaries 2, Royal Engagement and Ella Enchanted, and then she moved into adult roles with her supporting role in Brokeback Mountain in 2005. And were you guys, I just want to ask, were you guys early Anne Hathaway fans? Did you watch her, like, Princess Diaries and all that stuff? [00:28:49] Speaker C: No, I wasn't, but I do love that my daughter was like. She watched the Princess Diaries on repeat for a couple years there, which I think is super cute. Yeah. [00:29:02] Speaker A: Serena, what about you? Did you watch any of her early, like, stuff like that? [00:29:05] Speaker B: I mean, yeah, definitely, Todd. Princess Diaries. I don't think I saw Princess Diaries too, but Ella Enchanted, and I remember quoting Princess Diaries a lot. And yeah, it's kind of one of those movies where at the time watching it kind of surprised, like, what an epic career she ended up having from having like a basically, like a teen schmaltzy kind of role, even though it's a great movie. Like, don't get me wrong. [00:29:29] Speaker A: But, yeah, we're gonna talk about him later in a minute. But, like, I feel like there's also, like, a weird parallel with Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway. Like, they're both starting in these kind of more teen and young adult roles for the most part, and then moving into new, new fields. Yeah. So kind of cool. And then. So in 2006 was her second sort of breakout role opposite Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. And apparently Hathaway told People magazine she was the ninth choice for the role of Andy Sachs, which is. I cannot imagine. Well, I guess I can imagine their first choice was Rachel McAdams. And I can imagine her, but, like, yeah, Anne Hathaway, come on, she's perfect for that. So. So other movies she was in the 2000s included Becoming Jane, Bride wars, and Rachel Getting Married. She got an Oscar nomination for Rachel getting married. In 2010, she became even more successful. She had her Oscar winning role as Fantine in Les Miserables. She also did Love Another Drugs, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movies, Christopher Nolan's the Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar One Day and Dark Waters, among others. And she also took on. So one thing that's really personal to me is she was on the TV show Modern Love, and she gave one of my favorite performances I've ever seen of someone with mental illness. She plays a woman with bipolar disorder, and I was Like I have depression. Like, you know, I'm a lot better these days. But for a while it was really serious, severe depression. And I watched that episode with my husband and I just like broke down crying at the end of it and I was like telling him, like, that's what it's like. Like I was watching her performance and it just like it was the best I'd ever seen someone just capture what that is. So, yeah, just kind of a personal note. I don't know if either of you saw that or not. [00:31:19] Speaker C: You know, I didn't see Modern Love, but I saw that clip and yeah, it's really great. [00:31:25] Speaker A: Yeah, she's a really great actress. Yeah. So in the 2020s, she's taken on a lot of streaming movies. She was in the last thing he wanted for Netflix, Locked down and a remake of the Witches for hbo Max. She's also done the streaming shows Solos and We Crashed and her other 2000s film work includes Armageddon Time, she Came to Me and the two kind of interesting looking thrillers, Eileen and Mother's Instinct. I can't say I've seen any of these newer things, but they look kind of cool. So she's got a few projects slated for the Future. According to IMDb, she's in post production on Flower Vale street, which is another mystery thriller with Ewan McGregor and an epic costume drama called Mother Mary. She is in production on Christopher Nolan's the Odyssey and on another Michael Showalter movie. So he's adapting the Colleen Hoover book, Verity, apparently. And it's got Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett and Dakota Johnson. And that cast I don't really know about much about Colleen Hoover, but I'll watch a movie with that cast and with Michael Showalter. And of course, she also interestingly has several more projects in pre production. So there's a definite third Princess Tyrese movie and there's a possible, possible sequel to the Devil's Wears Prada. I don't know how much like credence I lend to that particular one. Two more interesting facts like Selene Hathaway started filming the story when she was 39 and she turned 40 during filming, apparently. Like the scene where Solene turns 40 in the movie. She had had her 40th birthday party the day before. And random cool fact that relates to our podcast. Anne Hathaway, in an interview for prime said Moonstruck is her favorite movie. So we're besties, we love that. Yeah, that's in terms of the actor's age. That's another age gap right there. [00:33:15] Speaker C: So. [00:33:15] Speaker A: Yep. [00:33:18] Speaker B: So I'm gonna talk about Hayes Campbell, who is played by Nicholas Galitzine. Nicholas Galitzine's full name is Nicholas Dimitri Constantine Galitzine. Sounds. It's very Greek and I think it is. [00:33:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:34] Speaker B: Yeah. I think interviews with him and he talks about having. I think his father is Greek. [00:33:41] Speaker A: I think. Yeah, but here. But here's the thing. I think he has Greek ancestry, but I think he said the name is Russian in origin. So I don't know what all is going on there. There's a lot of things going on. [00:33:50] Speaker B: Or maybe it's his mother who was Greek. Anyways, he was born in London on September 29, 1994. Growing up, Galitzine was more into sports, particularly rugby, and only stopped due to injuries around age 17. Not sure what his next step was, Galitzine agreed to go with some friends and act in their play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and caught the acting bug. His first IMDb credit is in 2014 for a starring role opposite the late Luke Perry in the Beat Beneath My Feet. And I actually did see that movie. Have you. Have you guys seen it? [00:34:28] Speaker A: Yeah, I checked it out. [00:34:30] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. It's actually really. It's really well done. It's really cute, you know, and he is really good in it for that being his first role. [00:34:38] Speaker A: Yeah, I thought. I agree, I agree. [00:34:41] Speaker B: For the Beat Beneath My Feet. Skelzine learned how to play the guitar. Other 2010 movies included High Strong, Handsome Devil and the changeover. In the 2000 and twenties, Galitzine appeared in supporting roles in movies including the Craft Legacy and Bottoms. He also co starred in the movies Purple Hearts Red, White and Royal Blue Cinderella. And his most recent appearance in the Idea View. He also co starred with Julianne Moore in the TV miniseries Mary and George. [00:35:16] Speaker A: Oh, my God. I gotta stop you too. I gotta stop you there. Have you seen any of Mary and George, Serena? [00:35:21] Speaker B: I wish I did. Yeah. No, I'm. I'm too cheap to. To put out for Max. [00:35:25] Speaker A: Yeah. No, dude, I watched. No, it's not Max. I think it's like stars or something. [00:35:29] Speaker B: Oh, okay. Stars. Okay. [00:35:30] Speaker A: Yeah, they let. They let me see the first episode free, and then I'm just like, what? I have to subscribe to something now? But he's giving, like. He's giving such, like, Jonathan Rhys Meyers vibes in that. So I was just like, oh, my. [00:35:43] Speaker B: God, there's a huge amount of promo for that movie too. And so he was like, o over the place with Julianne Moore, which is great. I have seen a lot of his other movies. I did see the Changeover, which is like this crazy New Zealand movie. [00:35:56] Speaker A: Yeah, I've seen that. [00:35:57] Speaker B: I saw High Strung, you know, kind of. Kind of a schmaltzy teen B movie. [00:36:06] Speaker A: Yeah, I've seen almost all of them. I'm gonna talk about one of them in my double features. And you're gonna talk about one of them, too. I believe so. [00:36:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, I saw Bottoms, too. That's a great movie. [00:36:17] Speaker A: Yeah, that was fun. And he plays a really different role in that, too. [00:36:21] Speaker B: I know. So Galaxy has two movies in post production. A fantasy romance called 100 Nights of Hero and the comedy mystery movie Three Bags Full, a sheep detective movie. He is also currently in production as he man in a new Masters of the Universe movie. [00:36:39] Speaker A: Yeah, that is crazy to me. [00:36:42] Speaker C: It is crazy. Love T Man. [00:36:45] Speaker A: And she. Oh, really? [00:36:47] Speaker C: God, yes. [00:36:48] Speaker A: Okay. [00:36:49] Speaker C: Holy smokes. [00:36:50] Speaker A: So you're the audience for this movie. Okay, maybe. [00:36:53] Speaker C: Because. Oh, well, I had a little brother, right. And I do have a little brother, but he was my little. When we were kids, He Man. Was it Shira? Was it for me. And then there was a. There is a He man movie out there that we watched repeatedly. So I might have to see this with my brother, this new one I'm. [00:37:14] Speaker B: Interested in, like, what kind of take they're gonna take on this he man movie. Like, is it gonna be kind of funny? Is it gonna be, like, very realistic action? Yeah. I don't know. [00:37:26] Speaker A: Wow. Yeah. I can't. It's like, he's not the first person I would think of to play He Man. It's just like. It's funny, right? But, like, I guess it works. Works, Sure. [00:37:33] Speaker C: I wonder if he's gonna beef up for it. [00:37:34] Speaker A: Oh, I guess he. Apparently there are some photos out there, and he's very buff, so I haven't seen him myself. I probably should have for research purposes. [00:37:41] Speaker C: But, yeah, I kind of bummed about that. I don't want him to beef up anyway. My two cents. Well, he can be right there objectifying. Okay. [00:37:54] Speaker B: And he's in pre production for the animated movie Wings of Freedom. Galitzine did his own singing in the Idea View and has also performed music in several of his other films. He can also play the guitar and the piano. Though Galitzine is straight, he has played several gay characters. He told GQ uk, quote, unquote. I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I'm taking up someone's space and perhaps guilt at the Same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality. [00:38:30] Speaker C: So one of the screenwriters is Jennifer Westfeld. Jennifer Westfeld wrote the screenplay with Michael Showalter based on the book by Robin Lee. And we'll talk more about Robin Lee later in the episode. We'll get to her. Jennifer Westfeld might best be known for her 2001 movie Kissing Jessica Stein, a film which she co wrote, co produced, and in which she played Jessica Stein. Prior to that film, she had a few TV and film roles starting in 1998 with the show Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place. [00:39:04] Speaker A: I like, remember that show exists. I think I even watched an episode or two of it. Yeah. [00:39:08] Speaker C: Nathan Fillion and Ryan Reynolds. Yo. [00:39:11] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Wow. Realize that. Okay. [00:39:15] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Before the Idea of youf, Westfeld also wrote screenplays for the films and Ira and Abby and Friends with Kids. Her only directing credit so far is for Friends with kids in 2011. That's also been in my queue. It looks very good. Westfeld also wrote the TV series the First lady in 2022. Westfeld has worked as a producer on several of her projects and also has continued acting mainly in television. She appeared on well known shows like Grey's Anatomy and 24 and has had longer running roles on shows including Notes from the Underbel and Younger. Most recently, she appeared on the show Will Trent. In addition to her work on the Idea of youf, Westfeld has also worked on Broadway including the show Wonderful Town for which she received a Tony nomination. As of October 2024, Deadline reported that Westfeld would be acting in and adapting the novel the Sweet Spot, which is described as a multi generational female driven screwball comedy set in New York City around the chaos of, of the holiday season. [00:40:25] Speaker A: I hear that description and I'm like, that is Sophia. To me, that is like something that you would watch. [00:40:29] Speaker C: Thanks. I agree. [00:40:31] Speaker A: I didn't, I didn't expect the he man to excite you, but I was like, sure about that one. Anyway. [00:40:38] Speaker C: Other notable cast and crew, Ella Rubin plays Selen's daughter Izzy, and Reed Scott plays Selen's ex husband Daniel. Ella Reuben. She's beautiful. Yeah. [00:40:51] Speaker B: They did a good job of casting someone who looks just like Anne Hathaway. I was like, oh, I could see them being mother and daughter. [00:40:58] Speaker A: Yeah, she actually, the actress said in one of her interviews that people always say that she looks like Anne Hathaway and she's like, and now I have proof. So I guess we'll get into our movie now. So the opening of the movie is why I chose this for LA Stories series, because it appears to establish Solene's living space in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. It shows landmarks like the Sunset Junction and the Silver Lake Reservoir. The Sunset Junction is the name for the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard. And the Silver Lake Reservoir was built in 1906 and gives the area its name. So these are like, pretty, like classy, fun parts of Los Angeles. And I was like, yeah, I was gonna. I'm not gonna do as much research for this going forward in the podcast. We might not get quite as in the weeds about some of these things. So I'm not going to tell you the whole history of Silver Lake. I did do a little bit of research on Silver Lake, though. The area has an interesting history of attracting bohemian residents and serving as a hub of the Los Angeles gay community. In a 2016 headline, Forbes called Silver Lake the hippest neighborhood of Los Angeles. But like, in real estate, you know, 2016 is forever ago, right? So like locals on Reddit were basically saying the area has been like significantly gentrified and there's a lot more like generic upscale stores these days. So this happens. The film's opening also establishes the family relationship in this movie and some of Selene's feelings about her ex husband and the way that they're dealing with their custody arrangements. And we know that Selene has a daughter who is high school age and we meet her and some of her friends. What did you guys any impressions about the beginning of the movie before we get to Coachella? [00:42:44] Speaker B: Yeah, that these people were really rich. I was like, well, I mean, first off, I loved her like, little bungalow, you know, the, the house was so cute. But I know, I know that part of la, I mean, that's like a million dollar house. And then when they showed like the dad's house too, I was like, woof. It was like that modern kind of like mansion, you know? [00:43:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:07] Speaker B: So that's kind of what I was thinking. I was kind of thinking like, huh, like, what do these people do for a living? But I mean, I guess you do have to have some serious cash if you're gonna live in la, period, you know? [00:43:20] Speaker A: Yeah, I think Million Dollar might actually be lowballing how much that house. Yeah, to be honest. [00:43:25] Speaker B: Yeah, probably if it was actually in LA like you said. I guess it was actually in Atlanta. [00:43:28] Speaker A: But yeah, yeah, you can actually rent that house on Airbnb apparently too. Okay, I'll put a link to that. Yeah, yeah, no, they're totally rich. Sofia. Any thoughts about the family, the relationships, anything? [00:43:42] Speaker C: I love that, you know, she's gonna. She's supposed to be going on a camping trip for her by herself, and she's throwing in all these big books and, like, she's gonna read them all or something. And I'm like, I do that. That's me. I identified with her in that her friend who's with her is hilarious. And she's like, so are you someone who camps alone? She's like, I'm gonna find out. Like, I feel. I felt a lot of that conversation. [00:44:07] Speaker A: Yeah. So we're seeing Selen trying to, like, get into, like, having her own life again after, like, being married, having this divorce, and, you know, raising a kid. And then she gets pulled right back into dealing with her children. Not that she minds dealing with her kid, but, you know, her husband bails on this VIP trip to Coachella that he's arranged for his daughter and her friends. So Selen ends up having to accompany them to Coachella to the VIP August Moon meet and greet. Oh, so I looked up, too, like, how much these Coachella costs. Tickets would have cost. So, like, I don't know how much the VIP ones would cost. I had no idea Coachella was this expensive. It's like $599 a person for, like, general admission by itself. Not VIP, not a place to stay, not a shuttle. Just getting in. Did you guys know this? Did you know how expensive Coachella was? [00:44:57] Speaker C: No, I didn't. I don't even know what Coachella is. Sorry. [00:45:00] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, good. I. That. Then I don't feel unhip. Okay, good. Because I was like, I'm not. I haven't really kept up with that. [00:45:06] Speaker B: I mean, but it is. It is spread over, like, several days. [00:45:10] Speaker C: Oh, and I've seen headlines are Madonna and Prince and Jay Z, Beyonce. I guess 500's a steal. [00:45:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, I'm too cheap to pay that much money to go to a concert. Like, I'm like. I grew up with, like, Summer Fest, for God's sakes. Like, I was upset when summer Summerfest tickets started costing, like, $20. I'm like, what are you talking about? [00:45:31] Speaker B: No, it's pretty wild. [00:45:34] Speaker A: Summer Fest for our non Midwest listeners, is a music festival in Milwaukee where you can see a lot of different acts on the same day. And, like, probably not Coachella level, but, like, not bad level. Like, some. Some pretty prominent people do show up at Summer Fest, too. So. Yeah. Anyway, so. But Coachella itself. Yeah. Like you said, Serena, it started its first year was 1999. It's a yearly festival. This year's festival is happening April 11th to the 13th and 18th to the 20th. So some of the performers this year are going to be Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, Charlie xcx, Missy Elliott, and Megan Thee, Stallion. Those are some of the headlining performers this year. And yeah, 599 to get in. But yeah, yeah, like, like in like Sophia, you had mentioned, like, you looked ahead and like some of the huge musicians have played Coachella, like Madonna, Prince, the Flaming Lips, Jay Z, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and possible idea of you muse Harry Styles, like, doing his solo performance after One Direction. So a little bit about the Coachella scene. So they get to Coachella first. We see Solene, like, hanging out in the August moon VIP tent and she meets this, like, groupie mob who's there for herself. After she's in the VIP tent, she decides to flee the fandom mom and just go to the bathroom and she makes a mistake and she goes into the wrong trailer to use the bathroom. She goes into Hayes Campbell's trailer and ends up like busting into his bathroom and he's trying to figure out what's going on. And this is like the movie's meet cute. And I think this is like such an effective meet cute. And it's such a good way of showing that, like, Solene is not someone who's like, overawed by his celebrity because when she finds out who it is, she, like, she looks a little embarrassed, but she doesn't like, freak out or anything. What did you guys think about this? This wasn't in the novel, by the way. Totally different setup in the novel without this meet cute. [00:47:31] Speaker C: I think it's good. Like, you meet over the bathroom. Like, everybody goes to the bathroom. You know what I mean? And how much more human can you get? So I. That's clever. And yeah, I, I get that. She's totally not impressed with him. And then like, somebody comes in, they're like, you need. You need me to dress you? And he's like, no, get out of here. Like, people dress him and stuff like that. And he's embarrassed by it and. Because she's like, okay. And that's why he loves her, because she doesn't care about all that. [00:48:06] Speaker B: I think that this is like, definitely like the. The comedy part of the rom com, you know, I think there was a lot of humor in this. Yeah, you kind of got to see Hayes's personality a little bit right away, that he was kind of funny and witty and down to earth, I guess. He came across as being down to earth, like, right away, and it made him charming, you know, right away. He's very charming. [00:48:34] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:34] Speaker A: Andy takes his shirt off right away, too. I mean, if you want the other half of things. [00:48:41] Speaker B: Right, right. [00:48:42] Speaker A: But, yeah, no, the charming is important. I'm not, like, one of those ladies who's just like, oh, yes, a bare chest. That's not gonna do it for me. Like, it's like, the whole package of, like, who he is is what's appealing about this character, for sure. And his accent. The accent doesn't hurt at all. [00:48:59] Speaker C: He says that later on. He's like, I'm the British one. That's. That's what I'm here for. [00:49:04] Speaker B: I know. Also, like, the timber of his voice is, like, really nice. Like, he just has a nice voice, like, in General, like, yeah, 100 agree with that. [00:49:14] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, he's a. I don't have, like, a crush on Nicholas Galitzine, but, like, he is very appealing. When I watch him in a movie, I'll say that. Like, yeah, like, just. I could watch a lot of movies with him. The funny thing is, like, he seems older in this movie than he does when he's in interviews. He seems like. When I saw interviews with him and Anne Hathaway, she seemed much older than her character in the movie, and he seemed much younger than her character in his character in the movie. So I was like, well, now I see the age gap. [00:49:42] Speaker C: That's interesting, right? [00:49:44] Speaker A: Yeah. I felt like their acting made them seem a little bit closer in age than they. Than they come off in real life, which is funny. So we go move on from this accidental meeting in his trailer to the meet and greet scene, which is what they came to Coachella to do. Like, it's interesting they have her daughter not be so into August Moon anymore. But even still, when they go to the meet and greet, like, they do get a little bit flustered anyway, you know, like, her and her friends are still kind of, like, into it, Right? [00:50:11] Speaker C: Yep. I thought that was cute. I. It's true, right, people? It's like, so seventh grade, and they're, like, 16 now, and whatever. I think that's funny. Yeah. [00:50:22] Speaker A: Like, and they go to the meet and greet, though. And, like, Hayes, like, kind of is angling to get Selene's name. Like, he wants to find out who she is. So he's kind of just talking more with her daughter and her friends and everything. And eventually he does get the name, and then one of Izzy's friends actually drops that she has the art gallery so kind of sets up the. The possibility of them meeting again. So now we come to the concert, actual concert scene. I thought this was filmed so well, so I'm going to tell a little bit about how they filmed it and then we can discuss it. But they made a fake Coachella on an Atlanta race course. So the production designer's name is Amy Williams, and she created this great fake coachella. They got 500 extras to play fans, and they filmed at 3am in the middle of the Atlanta winter. And then they use digital duplication techniques to make the crowd look bigger. And, yeah, I think they really pulled off like a great. Like, I haven't been to Coachella. I don't know much about it, but I've seen photos, you know, like Instagram and stuff. [00:51:21] Speaker B: Stuff. [00:51:21] Speaker A: I think they really pulled off the vibe very well. [00:51:25] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, it was believable. It was. I don't know either what Coachella is like, but it definitely seemed like it was a big concert, you know, that there could have been thousands of people there, so you couldn't really tell that There was only 500 people there. [00:51:37] Speaker A: Yeah. And, like, I thought the way they filmed the music, the concert scenes are really great too. Like, it just felt very dynamic. It felt very alive. Yeah. And the music, like we said, is fantastic. Savin Katech's music that he wrote for this is, like, amazing. They start with Guard down, which is one of the really fun, poppy songs from the album. Then they do this thing where they sing this song called Closer. And Hayes makes a little comment before he sings it. So I'm gonna go ahead and play a clip of that and then we can discuss that. I met someone tonight I feel a little inspired. I'm planning on doing this, but this one's Go Closer. [00:52:22] Speaker B: I know that, you know I make. [00:52:25] Speaker A: L and I know that you think I talk too much Cuz I do yeah, I do When I don't want. [00:52:35] Speaker B: To say goodbye Please repeat what you. [00:52:42] Speaker A: Trust. [00:52:47] Speaker B: I know that you're a little. [00:52:48] Speaker A: Bit older but maybe rest your head. [00:52:52] Speaker B: On my shoulder before it gets a little bit colder I want to get. [00:53:01] Speaker A: Closer to you Closer yeah that even like listening to it, you can hear how there's people in the audience singing along to the music and cheering just right. Like, they really, like, the details are so on. You know what I mean? Yeah. [00:53:22] Speaker B: I think. I think I saw an interview too, with. With Nicholas Gelitzine, and he was saying that the extras that they use, they actually did like, teach them the music so they Could. So they could, like, sing it back. And apparently the audience was great and they were really into this. Like, they were, like, a great audience, and it was, like, a really great experience for the actors as well. [00:53:44] Speaker A: I mean, I would love to have been, you know, an extra scene, it looks like. [00:53:48] Speaker C: Right. [00:53:48] Speaker B: I would have done it. Yep. Yep. [00:53:51] Speaker A: Sophia, any thoughts about that concert scene yourself? [00:53:56] Speaker C: Yeah, just a lot of fun. It made me think of. I didn't go to, like, a Coachella or a Lollapalooza as a kid, but I did go to a. Oh, hold on, ladies. A Christian rock fest a few summers in a row where we camped out. [00:54:08] Speaker A: And. [00:54:09] Speaker C: Yes, like, the main stage and, like, all the peeps. [00:54:11] Speaker A: And. [00:54:12] Speaker C: Yeah, you're singing along. It's a lot of fun. Yeah. Made me think of that. [00:54:16] Speaker A: This is also when we're seeing sort of Hayes, like, he doesn't. You know, he's not coming out and saying that it's Solene he's singing to. But, like, you, as the audience are already keyed into this is what's going on. Right. And, like, you feel like Selene may have, like, a hint about it too, because, like. Like, they do this really cool thing. Like, Michael Showalter does this really cool thing with a split screen where you're seeing the performance and you're seeing Solen's face, her reaction to the performance. At the same time, I thought that was, like, a clever use of the split screen to, you know, to show, like, her watching him, you know, him. [00:54:47] Speaker B: Singing to her, and you can kind of see her, like. Like, her attraction, you know, and, like, she's like, what? I think at some point she even says, like, get yourself together or something. Like, I think it might have been at the meet and greet or something when they made eye contact, but you can definitely see that she's like. She's into this, you know, whatever this is. [00:55:08] Speaker A: Yeah, no, like, I. Yeah, I love the. It's kind of like. It's a nice flirtatious scene. It's like a scene of two people flirting, but they're doing other activities at the same time. And as the audience, you're also distracted by this great music. So it's like. I love. Yeah, it's just good filmmaking, I think. Yeah. I'm trying to imagine what this would look like in a Hallmark movie. Like, there'd be, like, 20 people with. [00:55:31] Speaker C: A little town square. [00:55:34] Speaker A: But it would be Coachella. No, there wouldn't even be. It would be the Hallmark version of Coachella, though. There'd be no gazebo but they just have, like, some people milling around and, like, it would be terrible. [00:55:45] Speaker C: You're right. No gazebo, because they didn't have a budget for that. But it'd be like a little platform, maybe some lights that go across a wire. [00:55:54] Speaker A: I don't mean to just pick on Hallmark here, but I just feel like a lot of rom coms have started going that direction with their production values, and they haven't been putting the money or the care into making these movies, like, real movies. And we deserve real movies. Like. [00:56:07] Speaker C: Yeah, come on. Budget helps a lot, right? [00:56:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:12] Speaker C: Tell your story. [00:56:14] Speaker A: Yeah. And just like, the. The commitment to, like, creating this environment, like, so richly as well. So. Yeah, so. Yeah. So any other, like, should we move on? I wanted to talk a little bit just about the music in general and, like, our. The songs we liked and everything. Yeah, for sure. So I got you is a song that they're playing on the way to Coachella in the car. And it's like seven Kuteches that. He designed that one to sound like it was, like, from their first album, like, kind of a Their baby boy band music. And there's lines like, haters gon. Ha. What did you guys think? What did you. Was your opinion of that, if any? [00:56:51] Speaker C: I didn't really pay attention to that one. That one didn't grab me. [00:56:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I. They definitely did a good job of, like, researching, like, the trajectory of, like, boy bands with this, you know, with, like. With, like, each song and how it just kind of gets, like, it evolves, you know, like, with them and you definitely. Yeah, they did a good job for sure. You're talking about the scene where they're, like, in the car. [00:57:16] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:57:17] Speaker B: Like, on the way there, and they're like, oh, seven. And at first, Izzy doesn't want to, like, she doesn't want to sing along, but then her friends, like, start singing. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:57:25] Speaker A: Hate is gonna hate. Yeah. That's my least favorite song too, because. And I think it makes sense to be the least favorite because it's not. It's the least contemporary. [00:57:33] Speaker B: Right, Right. [00:57:34] Speaker A: New sounding one. So then Guard down is one of the other songs. We hear that at Coachella. And then Celine looks at that later. The music video of that, which you can see the same music video on YouTube, which is amazing, where, like, Nicholas Galitzine's dressed up in this, like, I don't know, teacher or schoolboy outfit with, like, a ruler. [00:57:52] Speaker B: I would. I would say. I would say. Yeah. Is he a teacher? Is he the schoolboy I don't know. I feel like they're all in school. [00:57:59] Speaker A: Yeah. And he's. But he's got, like, some kind of ruler. Like, he's gonna hit people with it or something. I don't know what's going on there. [00:58:05] Speaker B: I don't think they knew what was going on. [00:58:08] Speaker A: That is actually. That's the first song that really spoke to me from the movie. That's the one that I actually put on my. So I have, like, a shower playlist that I listen to when I take a shower. And that was on my shower playlist with, like, a couple other songs from movies, too. Like. Anyway, I won't go into that, but, yeah, that was, like, the first one that caught my attention. What do you guys think of Let My Guard Down? That one? [00:58:28] Speaker C: Yes. As I was gearing up for the. For this record recording, I played that one. That was the one I was jamming to. [00:58:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:58:36] Speaker A: I. [00:58:36] Speaker B: Again, I like. I like how the lyrics of these songs are kind of talking about, like, the relationship or, like, the potential of the relationship. You know, like, they kind of tell these stories that, like, it's like a little bit of an insight into Hayes's mind or something, you know? [00:58:55] Speaker A: Yeah. And then Closer, like, really reflects that. That's the one that we just heard. Like, he even says, I know that you're a little bit older. And I'm like, huh? [00:59:07] Speaker B: Right, right. It's like a luring song. It's, like, alluring. Luring her in, like. I know. [00:59:12] Speaker A: Yeah, that's good. And then Taste is a song which I thought was called Masterpiece, because they keep saying, you're such a masterpiece like that. [00:59:22] Speaker B: Right. [00:59:22] Speaker A: It's actually called Taste. That one is playing during the first montage of them going on tour together. That one I've really, like, started to really like. [00:59:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I do. I love that one, too. [00:59:33] Speaker A: Yeah. Sophia. [00:59:35] Speaker C: Sophia. I. I'm not. I don't remember it. That one. [00:59:38] Speaker A: Right. I mean, you're new to the August Moon fandom. You got it. Yeah. [00:59:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:59:44] Speaker B: Come on. [00:59:46] Speaker C: Dance Before We Walk. I remember that one. And then Go Rogue, you know? [00:59:50] Speaker A: So you remember Dance Before We Walk. That's the next one. That's another montage in the movie. I think. [00:59:55] Speaker B: That's my favorite. I think Dance Before We Walk is my favorite song out of all of the songs. I'm not. I don't know why. I think because you hear a lot of different versions of it in the movie. You hear like, a slowed down version. You kind of hear just like an acoustic version. And I Think all versions are, like. Are really great. I really like that song. [01:00:15] Speaker A: And, like, Go Rogue. Not to be too much of a spoiler, but that we hear much later in the movie, like, which is kind of a solo work by. By Hayes Days. So that was not my favorite. I liked his boy band work better. I'm sorry, Hayes Campbell, I don't like your evolution. What do you got? Do you guys like that one? [01:00:34] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, it's. It's. It's for the story, so it fits. [01:00:38] Speaker B: The story, but it was very, like, VH1. Like, what was that show like, Storytellers or, like, Singer, Songwriter, whatever. [01:00:46] Speaker C: The Unplugged. [01:00:48] Speaker A: Yeah, that's mtv. Yeah. [01:00:50] Speaker C: Oh, oops. Whatever. [01:00:51] Speaker A: That's okay. Yeah, no, no. And yeah. And then there's the song the Idea of youf, which is the end credits, which is kind of. There's a. It's a duet with Nicholas Galitzine and this British singer called Anne Marie. And the Idea of you song, like, which I didn't even notice the first few times I watched the movie, which I only noticed when I did it for the podcast. I think that's now my favorite. It almost has, like, the energy of a Bond song. I almost want to say, like, that's how, like, like, moody it feels to me. Oh, did you guys listen to that one? Like, it's. [01:01:18] Speaker B: In the end. I did and I listened. I listened all the way through. I don't. I guess it didn't. I may need to listen to it again. I didn't really. I didn't really get that. That vibe from it, but. Okay. I believe you, though. [01:01:31] Speaker A: The lyrics in that one are definitely, like. It will definitely spoil things if I talk about it, so I'm not going to talk about it, but right now. But, like, yeah, that. Those lyrics are really to the point, too, so it's kind of cool. All right, so, like, like, before you get back into the movie strand, I wanted to just talk a little bit about boy bands and, I don't know, like, Serena, I feel like you were a boy band fan once. Am I. Am I right about that? [01:01:52] Speaker B: Yeah. No, it's kind of funny. I got really, really into NSYNC when I was, like, 19 years old. Like, I should have. I should have aged out of it. Like, it was kind of almost at the end of their trajectory as well. And I think in high school, I may have, like, rejected them as being, like, too poppy or, like, I'm into Radiohead, and, like, that's, like, not, like, what I'm into. Or whatever. And then I. I was in AmeriCorps. Do you remember that program I did? [01:02:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:02:23] Speaker B: So I did AmeriCorps, which is a very, like, trying time in my life. It was, like, very. It was very difficult, and I was away from home, and we're doing all these, like, really difficult projects. And for some reason, like, my other girls on my team and, like, some of the girls that I was, like, roommates with, we just, like, embraced so heavily into NSYNC that I think it was, like, some kind of weird, like, cathartic. I. I don't know, because it was so schmaltzy and you didn't really have to think about too much. And we would, like, learn the dances and, like. Actually. Actually, I actually even ended up going to one of the concerts, like, a really big In Sync concert, which was actually mind blowing. [01:03:09] Speaker A: Wow. [01:03:11] Speaker B: Yeah. So, yeah, I did. I got really into them for a while, and it was fun. It was so fun. And that was, like. I think that's what I needed at the time. [01:03:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:19] Speaker B: And it really, like, you know, it. It was a good obsession to have because it was kind of this, like, distraction from, like, what was, like, going on in, like, the real world, you know? [01:03:31] Speaker A: So would you say your fandom was, like, pretty much exclusively, like, in person? Was there, like. I was still kind of early days for the Internet. Was there any Internet element to it? Or was it just, like, you were fans with your friends that you knew? [01:03:42] Speaker B: No, I don't think there was an Internet with it because I want to say this was, like, 2001. [01:03:50] Speaker A: Yeah, it was 2001. [01:03:52] Speaker B: So there was definitely. Yeah, I. I remember there was like. I mean, we would watch the. The concert on, like, vhf. Vhs. Vhs. I don't even know what it's called anymore. Vhs. [01:04:04] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. [01:04:05] Speaker B: And I remember, like, vhs, right? And I remember, like, rewinding it. Like, we would just, like, watch the. The concert, like, over and over again and, like, learn the dance moves and, like, I remember I had a roommate that would like, have this, like, hilarious commentary and, like. Like, yeah, it was. It was like, a good time. [01:04:23] Speaker C: That is awesome. I love every bit of that. That's what boy bands are for, right? [01:04:29] Speaker A: Did you have, like, a favorite member or, like, members? [01:04:34] Speaker B: You know? Not really. I think I was just, like, into the whole, like, production of it and, like, the. The kind of, you know, fake boyfriendness of it all. You know, like, there's sort of like, these neutral. These neutral characters. I don't know. It's. I don't Think I had a favorite, to be honest. [01:04:52] Speaker A: Okay. [01:04:52] Speaker B: Obviously, Justin Timberlake, like, went off. I think if I do talk about. I do think that when I saw the concert, after seeing the concert, it was painfully obvious how much more talented Justin Timberlake was than the other members. Like, it was one of those things where, I guess, you know, people have, like, a stage presence. It was one of those things where there's, like, a million things going on in stage. There's, like, giant teddy bears and, like, fireworks and, like, all this crazy stuff is happening and these, like, giant concerts. Right. But you. I could not take my eyes off of Justin Timberlake. Like, he could. He could just command that stage. Like, it was. It was wild. Like, it was mesmerizing to see someone who has. That had that kind of, like, showmanship, I guess. [01:05:41] Speaker A: Nice. [01:05:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:05:44] Speaker A: Sophia, did you have any boy band affections or. No? [01:05:49] Speaker C: I feel like I was, like, seventh, eighth grade, and already there was, like, boy bands are stupid around me. So I just never then let myself really get into either. And plus, it was a big, like, New Kids or Backstreet Boy. Like, it was a whole. Which one? And I just didn't get involved now. So. Yeah, I wasn't. And I might, like, if the song came on the radio. I suppose I knew it, but it wasn't ones that I was, like, chasing down or anything. [01:06:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, I was, like. I was into Madonna when I was growing up. Right, Right. That was my big. Like, I was more of a woman, you know, focused. Like, not aggressively talented female singer songwriters, per se. But when I was, like, middle school and high school cool, I was, yeah, into Madonna and, like, I got into, like, you know, rock, too, I guess, and movie soundtracks. I do. I will say that I've always loved the song I Want it that Way by the Backstreet Boys. Like, I remember. Yeah. Like, you guys are saying it was not cool to like boy bands, but for some reason, I Want it that Way was like, everyone loved that song. I don't remember anyone who wouldn't, like, start singing it. It became, like, one of my karaoke things. And you could sing it at a karaoke bar, and people would start doing, like, Backstreet Boys, like, dances and stuff in the background. [01:07:04] Speaker C: Fantastic. Love it. [01:07:06] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, I was gonna tell a little bit about the history of boy bands, but I think people mostly know, you know, that already, so I think we can kind of skip that. Except that, like, it's interesting. Like, this article I was reading in US Magazine said that, like, the Beatles could be thought of like, at least when they. In their inception as kind of the original boy bands. And I hadn't really thought about it like that before, but, yeah, like, the way that fans were responding to the Beatles when they first came out, the kind of poppy music they were playing, the way that each. Each member of the Beatles was sort of, you know, posited as a different type, you know, like, and they had those movies where, like, their personalities were on display. I think it is kind of like the inception of boy bands. [01:07:46] Speaker C: Yeah, I never would have thought of that either. But bringing it up that way, you're like, oh, yeah, sure. I love that you have in the notes here about Menudo. Yeah, I know I forgot about Menudo. But my bestie loved Menudo. Amazing. [01:08:02] Speaker A: Yeah. No, like, yeah, the 80s was, like, the Menudo and, like, New Kids on the Block. And then the 90s, you had, like, as we talked about, In Sync of the Backstreet Boys, but you also had, like, Boys to Men, and you had Hanson, and I guess in the uk they had, like, Boy Zone and Westlife. Yeah. And then we get to the 2000s, and I kind of fall off the map on knowing about these people. These are now people I've just heard about, but I haven't really listened to, like, like, the Jonas Brothers. Like, I think the main thing I know about the Jonas Brothers is one of them either dated or is married to somebody from Game of Thrones. I don't know. [01:08:33] Speaker B: I think they're divorced now. [01:08:34] Speaker A: Oh, really? Okay. Yeah, that shows what I know. I don't know anything. [01:08:37] Speaker C: No. Don't really know anything about the Jonas Brothers. [01:08:41] Speaker A: And then, like, the 2010s, we have one Direction. And then, like, there's been a growing interest in K Pops. We have, like, bts. When I was in Korea, it was more about the female groups. So, like, I didn't really get to experience that either. [01:08:54] Speaker C: I don't know a single One Direction song, but I do have some Harry Styles on my playlist, so. [01:09:00] Speaker A: You do? Okay. Okay. I feel like you've probably heard that song, what Makes yous Beautiful, because I hadn't. I didn't think I'd listen to any One Direction. And then I played what Makes yous Beautiful, and I was like, oh, yeah, I've heard that song. [01:09:10] Speaker C: Oh, okay. [01:09:11] Speaker A: Okay. Like, Serena, are you up on these, like, newer groups? Like, I mostly get my music from movies, and I used to from karaoke, but now it's just mostly movies. Movies. How about you? [01:09:21] Speaker B: Yeah, not really the Jonas Brothers or anything. Yeah, One Direction they were just. Yeah, it was off my radar. I was kind of too. They're just too young. [01:09:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:09:30] Speaker B: But I. Like you said, I think if I heard a song or two on the radio, I'd be like, oh, yeah, I know that song. But other than that, I don't really know. [01:09:39] Speaker A: Okay, so just, like, I wanted to share, like, some thoughts. So there's a blog called the every girl.com, and she was writing about. About sort of the appeal of boy bands after she listened to some August Moon music. The author is Megan Moore. She says boy bands like One Direction will always have a special place in our hearts and bring us back to a simpler time with strong communities. She cites their poppy, upbeat music sung by a group of cute boys with messy hair, as being very appealing. But she was also talking about just, like, the communities that people formed around the boy bands and, like, getting together maybe online and talking about them and sharing things. Things and stuff like that. And it sounds like, Serena, you had, like, a real life community at one point where you were doing these things. Can you still do any of the dances? Can you. Do you think you'd be able to do any of the NSYNC dances? Probably. [01:10:24] Speaker B: There was kind of like that resurgence of. Of the Bye Bye Bye dance. Deadpool and, like, Wolverine came out, and I was like, oh, yeah. I remember doing all those moves. Like, oh, yeah. So maybe. Maybe I could. [01:10:40] Speaker A: All right, so let's get back to the actual movie. After our little interlude with the boy bands, we have a scene where Selene has her 40th birthday party, and there's this, like, triumvirate of, like, older men who are kind of, like, stupid in one way or another, hitting on her. [01:10:54] Speaker C: Yeah, it's painful. [01:10:56] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. It's definitely one of those things where, you know, I. I mean, I have. I have some single friends now that are, you know, around late 30s, early 40s. And it's hard out there. Like, man, there's just. It's slim pickings. So I guess, myself included. But, like, you guys should be grateful that you don't have to deal with the. The dating pool, like, as of right now, you know, So I think it was very true to form just from things that I've heard, you know, about, you know, hinge and, you know, people are pretty. Got a lot of baggage. [01:11:33] Speaker A: Yeah. Like. Yeah, like, I think of the three that, like, hit on her, I definitely have to go with the guy who invites her out for a meal of food because he's probably just shy. So, like, we'll go with him. But, like. Yeah, right. We also, we also have the guy who's not really divorced from his wife. [01:11:50] Speaker B: I know, that's terrible. [01:11:52] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:11:54] Speaker A: And then the guy who introduces his pictures of his children, but it's like all his. His pets, which, like, I wouldn't object to, like, if it was like his like, beloved dog or whatever. But then it gets into, like, he's got like a whole menagerie and there's like a turtle named Norbert or something, and it just makes him look silly. [01:12:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:12:10] Speaker A: I shouldn't be like that because I love animals and I do regard my little cat as my little cat daughter, but it is different. Right. [01:12:16] Speaker C: Like, yes, I think. [01:12:21] Speaker A: I've poured a lot of love into that little cat, and I will defend her with my life. [01:12:24] Speaker C: Like, literally, I love my dogs and. And I referred my boy and we refer to him as, you know, the kids. You know, I'll be like, where's your brother? And I'll be like, go to your sister. For sure. [01:12:37] Speaker A: But there's just something about the way that guy has no, like, maybe social awareness of, like, what, talking to somebody with a child. You know what I mean? Yeah, that's what it is. [01:12:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:12:48] Speaker A: Serena, any. Any opinions on these various men or. [01:12:53] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I think they were. I think it was, you know, it. It. It proved its point. Like, it was kind of is like. Yeah, like, Hayes is a way better option. [01:13:03] Speaker A: Yeah. Although she doesn't know he's really an option yet. We haven't gotten there. [01:13:07] Speaker B: That's true. [01:13:08] Speaker C: It shows that. And, and to the point about the. The quote earlier about the. What rom coms do, and you're rooting for these people and falling in love, like connection. Right. Like a spark and not having to try so hard and. Yeah, that kind of thing. So it, you know, that's true. [01:13:30] Speaker A: That's very true. [01:13:31] Speaker C: This is what we're seeing here. [01:13:34] Speaker A: After the 40th birthday party, we have a scene at Solene's art gallery, which is called the Marchand Collective, and Hayes Campbell just drops into her art gallery. The art for the movie was very carefully curated. So again, we have production designer Amy Williams working on this. She told Town and Country. One thing I'm really proud of as a production designer is that I use real artists in almost all of my films. That's hard to do these days with legal clearance, but it's so important for shaping the character, what they have on their walls. When you see a boring abstract, it's too safe of a choice. And I don't like making safe choices. I like making daring choices. So, yeah, I think that's really cool. Yeah, isn't it? [01:14:16] Speaker C: Really love that. Yeah. [01:14:18] Speaker A: Anne Hathaway also worked with Amy Williams to find some of the art, and they sourced art from Silver Lake artists. They sourced some work from the east coast and some artists local to Georgia. But there's a painting that Solene shows Hayes in her warehouse called Unclose Me, which is pretty important to the plot. That one's actually by a Canadian artist called Sarah Ann Johnson, and that's an artist Anne Hathaway was already familiar with. So, yeah, I found an article about how they sourced all of it. There's a few more interesting facts in there if you want to check that out in her show notes. Just about, like, who owns some of the paintings. One of them was in Michael Showalter's house growing up, even. So that's kind of cool. And yeah, in the scene, though, like, Hayes comes in and he's obviously just there to see her and he starts just, like, buying all the art in the gallery. And Solene is kind of pissed by this and I kind of understand, like, this, this is her life, and she takes the painting seriously and he's just treating it like, you know, what's gonna happen. Did you identify with that, either of you? [01:15:18] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, for sure. And she says that these are real artists, they take their work seriously and you're just, you know, buying it willy nilly. And I like that they make that point in the film. [01:15:34] Speaker A: But the character still does end up buying all the art in the entire gallery. [01:15:37] Speaker C: He does. Yep. Right. [01:15:39] Speaker B: And it is kind of one of those things too, where you're like, you know, at the same time, I'm like, I'm sure those artists would really appreciate, like, getting all of that commission, you. [01:15:48] Speaker A: Know what I mean? Like, and if the tabloids get a hold of it, like, he's. Campbell purchased this artist picture, like, whatever, like, that'd be good for them. [01:15:57] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:15:57] Speaker B: And honestly, like. Like living, living here in the Virgin Islands. There's lots and lots of villas, like, huge villas. And a lot of times they'll hire someone that will put art in these, in these villas. And it's big business. And a lot of the local artists will, like, specifically, like, try to cater to that and, like, that's how they get their work out there. And they will literally just buy like. Like he did in this movie, like, literally go to a gallery and buy the entire gallery and, like, put it in one of these villas. So it's something that happens. [01:16:36] Speaker A: So in after this art gallery scene, Hayes, like, to spend more time with Selene, gets Selene to take him to this warehouse in Glendale where she has more art. And that's where we see the piece Unclose Me. And we also kind of learn more about his character. She asks him, how does one find himself in a boy band? And he tells a story about, like, he had a choice between auditioning for this boy band or auditioning to be, like, in a play. Or he. He auditioned for the boy band, and he also auditioned to be Tiny Tim in a play, and he ended up getting the boy band. And that's kind of how his future ended up being decided. Again. That's different in the book. Like, he ends up forming the boy band when in the book and you get to know a little bit more about him. And they're talking with each other, and she's kind of at one point calls him on, like, what are we doing here? And so there's a small clip of him talking to her about his feelings. I feel like I don't meet people like you very often. Most people think they already know me. Hayes Campbell. It's not me. I don't know. You didn't seem to care. And for what it's worth, I think we met in a very interesting way. I think you're smart and, you know, you're also just. Just, you're hot or whatever. Hot or whatever. So I guess what I'm doing here. [01:17:59] Speaker C: Is. [01:18:02] Speaker A: Just trying to get to know you better. Well, I do appreciate your honesty. Okay. At this point, they end up going to her house to eat lunch. And we'll talk about that in a minute. But what do you guys think about anything? About that speech? [01:18:20] Speaker B: Yeah, like, swoon. Like, who wouldn't want somebody to say that to you? You know, I think it shows his vulnerability, too. It's kind of. I don't know. It's so. Again, just to use the word charming. It's so charming, you know? [01:18:34] Speaker A: Yeah. And he also talks about, like, the whole. One of the cruxes of the movie is, like, the difference between who he really is and, like, his Persona. He's like Hayes Campbell. That's not who I am. You know, like, I mean, of course he is Hayes Campbell, but, like, the. I. He's not this. The idea of Hayes Campbell, he's like his own person. You can also see another aspect of Hayes's popularity and celebrity affecting him. Like, they're gonna just go out to lunch, but then, like, Selene realizes That he can't just go out to lunch. The paparazzi will follow him everywhere. So she agrees to take him to her house to make him a sandwich. We get this scene where, like, her refrigerator broke and they're going through all the spoiled food. And then we have the scene where they have this, like, heart to heart and, like, Selen reveals to him what happened during her marriage, like, how the divorce happened and how she was cheated on. And so we get, like, a lot of, like, really, like, good, intense bonding scenes between these two characters before they hook up. Yeah, I'm leaving space because I don't. I don't. [01:19:37] Speaker C: No comment. I mean, it's. Yes, carry on, carry on. Because now we're getting to the good part. [01:19:40] Speaker B: Part. [01:19:41] Speaker C: The real good part. [01:19:43] Speaker A: So feels like I don't care about the talking. I just want to get to the making out. All right, Sophia, tell us about the good part. [01:19:50] Speaker C: Gee. Okay, so the phone rings, and Celine gets it, and it's her daughter. And. Okay, so she's in the kitchen having this phone call, and Hayes goes to the piano, and he starts to play. And then she approaches him and. And, you know, she's like, oh, I really like it. He's like, oh, thanks. And. Oh, man, they do so good here. They really hold the tension. It's nice and slow. And then it's what I thought was super awesome. So he reaches for her leg and, you know, brings her close and they kiss. And there's no sound. [01:20:25] Speaker A: Yes. Yes, exactly. [01:20:27] Speaker C: There's no music. There's no sort. There's no score. There's no radio. There's nothing. It's just them in this moment. Very cool. Very good. [01:20:40] Speaker A: So much. So much that because so many people will put all this music and crap over love scenes, and it sucks. And, like, if you really want a good love scene, you want to hear them breathing and crap. Like, seriously? [01:20:51] Speaker C: Yeah. Yep. [01:20:53] Speaker B: Huh? [01:20:54] Speaker C: Yeah. And then. So they have this hot kiss, and then she's like, no. She changes her mind and decides not gonna work. But then he. He takes her again, and then they kind of back into the piano and then the keys, you know, like, that was. That was cool. I enjoyed that. Snap. So, okay, a few more hot kisses. And then she's like, nope, time to go. And so she's like, I'll take you back to your place. And he's like, no, I've got a ride. And he leaves his watch behind and. [01:21:23] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, he just gotten some Tag Heuer deals. So, like, I know he's tricky. [01:21:27] Speaker B: He's like, sneaky. [01:21:30] Speaker A: No, but I was gonna say so, like when you were saying like, she says no, she cuts him off, but she goes like, like, I'm too old for you. And then he's like, no, you're not. Then he just like, takes it her mouth again. He's like, kissing her again. Fantastic. She's like, I could be your mom, but you're not. [01:21:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:21:45] Speaker A: So good. [01:21:46] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:21:47] Speaker A: Serena, you just laughing at us like, I think. [01:21:50] Speaker B: Yeah. No, it's. It's the retelling of it that's like, really, we shouldn't. [01:21:55] Speaker C: Oh, my God. We should have done podcasts. [01:22:00] Speaker A: Like, no, we're not doing every rom com theater. I'm not going to make like kissy noises and stuff. [01:22:07] Speaker C: I don't know. They would have made kissing noises too. But we could have done the dialogue. [01:22:12] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, obviously the scene has a lot. There's so much chemistry. There's so much, like, eye contact and like, you could definitely feel, like, how attracted they are to each other. It's just. It's just very, very well done so that it's like at that moment where you're like. Like, you want them to, like, get together, like, so badly, you know? [01:22:34] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Like, one of the producers of this too was saying that, like, oh, they get together so slowly in this movie. And I'm like, this is like the normal amount of time it should take people to get together in a movie. [01:22:46] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like meat number two. [01:22:48] Speaker A: You know, the only reason this feels like they get together slowly is because so many of these movies have, like, gotten people together, like, immediately. [01:22:55] Speaker C: Right. [01:22:56] Speaker A: And it's frustrating and like, like, yeah, like, there's this movie, a fan, a Family Affair, which is like the another 2024, like, age gap movie with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, and they're like, making out after, like a couple minutes. And I'm like, I don't feel the tension here. I don't feel the build up here. Like, what is this? And like, that's become more standard, like, because they can't trust people to, like, I don't know, stay off their phones and pay attention to something. I don't know, whatever. [01:23:22] Speaker C: No, I think it. I love it. I love this kind of. And. And I believe that that's where the truth is in some of this. It's like, of, yes, they're hot for each other, they're attracted to each other, they like each other. But let's be real. He's gonna go off and tour. She's got her Life. And, like, you know, it makes sense that there's a he leaves moment. [01:23:42] Speaker A: Yeah. And. But just like, even having some conversations before you kiss someone, like, come on, man. Like, like, yeah, these are adults. You have to, like, let them build up to it a little bit. Right? So, yeah, but what else are you gonna say? Oh, yeah, I'm obsessed with the cardigan he's wearing in this scene too. Like, okay, like, there's like, occasionally there's a piece of clothing in a movie that I'm just like, I want it so badly. He's wearing this, like, gray cardigan with, like, sort of an ombre, like, gradient effect. [01:24:07] Speaker B: It's kind of like fuzzy. Like, there's like a wonderful texture. [01:24:11] Speaker A: Fuzzy. [01:24:12] Speaker B: Yes, yes. [01:24:13] Speaker A: And it's. Apparently this is like a really expensive Isabel Marant want cardigan, because of course it is. Like, I guess there. I guess there's like, copies of it you can buy, but I'm like, I just want. You know, I guess Nicholas Galitzine wanted it too, because he actually bought the same cardigan, like, for himself, which is so. Which is cute. So he's. He's off there somewhere wearing his Hayes Campbell cardigan. [01:24:33] Speaker C: So nice. [01:24:36] Speaker A: All right, so we. We finished this. He's left his watch behind. We. We end up, like, with a scene now where Selene drops Izzy off at camp for the summer. And Hayes is texting her then and asks her to come to New York. And, like, I'm not going to go into the whole thing. She. She ends up going, of course she does. Right. And we get this scene where she arrives at his hotel and she's wearing this very tight, like, either two piece or like, dress. Like, that's all white and kind of sheer a little bit. And then we have the sex scene. So, Serena, should we have Sophia like, narrate this one so we can like. So you can laugh. [01:25:11] Speaker B: Giggle in the background. [01:25:14] Speaker A: So what do you have to tell us about this one, Sophia? You're narrating all the love scenes from now on. Okay. [01:25:18] Speaker C: Okay. So she gets there to the. To the Essex Hotel, right? And she just goes straight to the elevator and doesn't even, like, you know, check in, whatever. Be like, I need such and such. I guess she knows his room number. So she gets there, right? And it's kind of dark, and he lets her in and she takes off her coat and. And yeah, her awesome outfit, which I did think was one piece, but. But we quickly find out it's two pieces. And. And it's white and like, yeah, sheer in the Mid drift and the arms or whatever. And she's freaking stunning. And so yes, fireworks. [01:25:55] Speaker B: And she planned this out. She planned that outfit out. [01:25:58] Speaker C: She knew she planned that out. Okay, but then like here's the realist to me. I'm like damn, she wore that thing on the five hour flight over. Wasn't she? So uncomfortable and dehydrated. Like, like I would need to freshen up a minute before I take a mint. Maybe she already did that, I don't know. But okay, so yeah, they go at it and it's big fun. So there. I ruined it. I ruined it with my. This is why it's a movie and not real. [01:26:26] Speaker A: Sophia does. Sophia's shy away from the explicit sections of the movie too. I can see. [01:26:30] Speaker C: Because she found her dress. Stonehurst skirt and Woo. [01:26:36] Speaker B: So. Well, I was gonna say back, back up for like a second. Like I know we kind of skipped over the, the texting part but I just want to like point out like this man was stalking her. Like he like literally like, like. And that's what I kept on getting from this is that like he's so into her, you know, like he is so going out of his way. And for what I've hear like, of like modern day dating is like, that's like, like that doesn't happen anymore. It's like you're always getting ghosted or you feel like there's all this like tempid temperature. Like does he like me? Does he not like me? And I think what I, I like so much about this is how he's just, he's so forward. I mean almost to the point again where he's like stalking her. Like oh, sorry, I'm just, I, I found your number and like I looked up where your, your, your gallery is. Just showed up, you know. So it could go the other way too. Like if she wasn't it into him. [01:27:29] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:27:30] Speaker B: It could always like fall into it. [01:27:32] Speaker A: I like that. A boy band like thriller, erotic thriller where the guy. Let's watch that. [01:27:38] Speaker C: Right? [01:27:38] Speaker B: Like at what point would, would he have backed off? You know what I mean? And, and I think that also is like building so much tension like for her, you know. So it's just like she, she knows that like he's really into her, you know, and that, that feels hot. Hot. That's like really attractive, you know? Yeah. And she also like there's like another. Did we talk about it like the other scene too? Like before this, like she went after the texting. She went and like watched that like Guard down video. [01:28:10] Speaker A: Right. [01:28:12] Speaker B: She's, like, getting herself, like, hot and bothered, like, watching this video. Like, wait a. Wait a minute. Am I. Am I actually gonna do this? You know, you could tell kind of see that she's, like, talking herself into this. This, like, kind of ridiculous scenario. So I like how there's. It's so obvious. Like, all of this is so, like, planned out. You know what I mean? Like, it's not necessarily just spontaneous. Like, there's definitely, like, a lot of forethought into all of this, you know? [01:28:41] Speaker A: Yeah. No, I think that's good insight. Yeah, I like that. Yeah. And watching the video. Totally. Like, she's just gearing herself up, like. Yeah. We have the sex scene, and it starts with him, like, giving her pleasure, like, putting his hand down her skirt and everything, and looks like she's having an orgasm. And I'm like, yes, we need more female pleasure on screen for sure. [01:29:02] Speaker B: Right? She was. She was like. She was ready for it. Like, she was like. Like, wow. She's been thinking about him that whole plane ride. Like, she was ready. [01:29:14] Speaker A: And now we have this really cool. Also this after sex sex scene where they're playing Dance All Days by Wayne Chung, which. I love that song. And apparently this was a Michael Showalter addition to the script. Like, he wanted this song. The scene with them, like, goofing around to that song with the chicken fingers that they get from room service and, like, she has, like, a cookie plate and they're just, like, hanging out. And I think it gives it, like, such a human element to this movie to have them just hanging out and doing goofy stuff. Which you do in real life, right? [01:29:42] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. [01:29:43] Speaker B: Even. Even when he's, like, ordering the food, there's like, such. Such a. Like. Like an intimacy, like, between that. Like a normal intimacy of. Of that interaction. Like, that whole scene, like, in the. In the hotel room is just. I don't know, just very well done. Yeah, Again, definitely very thought out. [01:30:05] Speaker A: Very well done at this point. We also get this little scene where Hayes is telling Solene about his insecurities around his music and how he didn't know how to play any instruments. And he. He's teaching himself so he can be a real serious artist because he tells a story about how he was going to meet one of these people he really respects in the music world. And then it turned out that person just wanted him to come to his daughter's birthday party. And he doesn't want to be a joke. And. And Selena is really sweet to him and kind of, like, almost kind of mothers him in that scene. Like, it's like, there's almost like this mother energy that she's giving. [01:30:41] Speaker C: Yeah, right. That's where. You know, is that the trick of the age? Right? Like, can. How can she just be a supportive girlfriend or whatever and not sound like a mom? Right? [01:30:55] Speaker B: Just. [01:30:55] Speaker A: But I think it's okay to sound like a mom. Like, I think when you're. A lot of times with our partners, like, I think sometimes we take turns being a caretaker, you know, as well, not just a partner. [01:31:05] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. That's. That's where I. That's the question I'm bringing. Is that why age difference maybe is so hard that someone's gonna. It's gonna appear or feel too much like a parent versus like, a supportive, caretaking partner. Do you know what I mean? [01:31:27] Speaker A: I don't know. I think my answer is just, basically, I'm uncomfortable with those dynamics. Like, I think sometimes we seek partners that mimic our parents in some way, either, like, something our parents brought to us or something we were missing. [01:31:38] Speaker C: Missing. [01:31:39] Speaker A: Or in case of unhealthy relationships, maybe something we didn't want from our parents, and now we're getting it again just because we want to keep that weird, comfortable dynamic of toxicity. So, yeah, I think it just happens. I think it just happens no matter what. This is just a little more obvious. I don't know. Any thoughts on that, Serena? [01:31:58] Speaker B: Yeah, I didn't really get the. The, like, mother. The mothering thing. I just feel like she was just being like. Like, I almost felt like it was more of, like, Celine being a fan of art and, like, artistry. That's more of what I took out of it. Like, she was like, a. Like a serious. Like, had a good eye for authenticity or something. You know what I mean? So, like, sure. That's what. That's what I saw it as. Not that she was just comforting him, but she was coming across as more of, like, not an authority figure, but kind of, you know, like, I guess, experience. An experience. [01:32:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:32:35] Speaker B: Person. [01:32:36] Speaker A: True, true. All right, now we get the tour montage, which is, like, one of my favorite parts of the whole movie. I love, love, love a good montage. I think this is a fantastic montage. They do it to the song. So we get, like, some. We get some scenes of their, like, boy band performance, and then we get some scenes of them traveling around Europe and some scenes of them, like, in bed together. And I'm like, what's better, man? You're in Europe with a really hot guy. [01:32:58] Speaker B: I know. I know. Yes. [01:33:01] Speaker A: Any favorite moments? [01:33:04] Speaker B: Yeah. The. The montage is so. Again, I feel like a montage can kind of, like, cheapen. Can cheapen a movie. You know what I mean? Like, it kind of rushes, like, the certain elements. And I. I really think that this. This didn't. I feel like it was, like, the perfect amount. Like, you really gotta feel for them, like, bonding together and having this, like, amazing experience. [01:33:27] Speaker A: Experience. [01:33:28] Speaker B: And it was also just very, like, lush and, like, I don't know, aesthetically pleasing. Yeah, just all of it, you know? I like the little part, too, the cute part where, like. What did you say? He says, a masterpiece. And she, like. She, like, turned. He, like, sings to her and she, like, turns around, you know, And I'm like, oh, like, who wouldn't want that? [01:33:47] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, she's backstage and he's, like, giving a concert, but he's, like, secretly away from the audience's eyes. He's secretly singing it to Celette, which is amazing. Yeah. And it looks like he's doing it, like, every night. Like, he's. He's calling her out every night with that. [01:34:01] Speaker B: Right. [01:34:02] Speaker A: It looks really cute in an oversized hoodie for some reason. I don't really know why, but, like, I see him in the oversized hoodie and I'm like, okay. [01:34:07] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:34:15] Speaker B: I don't know why I keep giggling, but it's like. It is, again, one of those things, I guess. There's, like, where the fantasy element of this comes in, where it is, like, isn't that, like, everyone's kind of fantasy? You know what I mean? Like, you just. You get whisked away. You, like, money is no object. [01:34:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:34:32] Speaker B: You get to go to. You get to go to all these great European cities. You're being taken care of, and then you just get, you know, like, railed every night by, like, a hot guy. You know what I mean? Like, what? It. It's so. There's so much, like, like, fantasy in that, which I think a lot of women can relate to just being. I. I guess, in a way, just being taken care of and, like, not to go, like, too much into it. But again, I feel like that with the age gap relationships, and again with, like, the. The mothering part of it, I feel like with this, because Hayes is obviously rich, has a lot of money, a lot of resources, it sort of takes away that, like, the. [01:35:17] Speaker A: Like a power imbalance. [01:35:19] Speaker B: Yeah. The sugar mama element to it. You know what I mean? Where it's like, she's the one being taken care of. He's the, you know, he's catering to her. And it does. It makes it feel less. I don't know. Not that I would think that it was less, like, creepy anyways, but, like, there is, like a. It's a new element that I feel like this, this movie has. [01:35:43] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. Yeah. He's got definitely aspects of his. His life that are more powerful than aspects of her life. So it kind of like does even the field a little bit there. Yeah. Anyway, so we're gonna go into the spoiler section now. So if you haven't seen the Idea of youf, I definitely recommend checking it out. But if you don't mind being spoiled, we're now going to be able to talk freely about any aspect of the film to its end. So turn us off if you don't want spoilers. So, yeah, let's talk a little bit more about this Love, the aspect of being in love with a celebrity. So on the tour, Solene and Hayes are mostly trying to, like, keep their relationship, you know, under the radar. In the book. This is way more of an issue too. In the book, like, there's, like, really descriptive scenes about how difficult it is for him to go anywhere or do anything. And there's, like hordes of fans everywhere and, like, they basically, like, have to hide in hotel rooms half the time. They're not like, going off riding bikes and like, you see in the montage. So this is a little bit more downplayed in the movie. But yeah, like, being in love with a celebrity seems like it could be quite challenging. Any thoughts you have on this aspect of being in love with a celebrity, like, what do you think that would be? Do you think it would be appealing? Do you think it would be more difficult than it's worth? [01:36:59] Speaker C: I mean, when I was younger, probably would have thought have been so much fun. Not now, the way that, like, celebrities are that whole, like, they can't leave their houses garbage and, you know, are just stocked and, like, no privacy and like, there's no. There's no things that happened 10 years ago, like, keep getting brought up. It's like, oh, my God. Everyone's like, these people are over it. They've moved on. You know why it still comes up like that? That's garbage. That's just garbage. [01:37:36] Speaker B: I mean, again, like, with the. The age difference, I. I also think that because Solen is, you know, 40, I feel like she is better. Is better, like, equipped to handle it. You know what I mean? Because I'm thinking, like. And I guess they do show some Scenes with some of the other, like, I don't know what they are, groupies or something. Like the other. Some of the other girls that are, like, flying around with that. Them that. I feel like she's just, like, way more grounded about it, you know, Like, I guess not so star struck. And I guess that's initially, like, why they're even together. You know, he likes her so much because she's not into the fact that he's just a celebrity, you know, where I think a lot of people would, you know, a lot of people would. Would specifically go out of their way to be with a celebrity for their own clout, you know, for sure. [01:38:25] Speaker A: Yeah. And people also think they know celebrities when they don't really know them. The author of the book Robin Lee, said the public glom onto celebrities and think we know them and adore them when it's really just an image that has been cultivated and marketed and fed to us. We worship the idea of these people without ever knowing them. And I think that's like, one of the most interesting themes in the book and in the movie is just, like, what it's like to be a person who has all these people adoring you, but they don't really know you. And a lot of them are. Will turn on you the minute you kind of disrupt their fantasy. Which we see happen when people find out he's dating Selen. Like, there's people who claim to love him who then attack him and attack her because of this. [01:39:06] Speaker C: Right. Which is gross and weird. How unself aware are people, right, to be all, like, give such a shit about who. Somebody who sings music or whatever that you enjoy and really, like, like, is like, dating or not dating. That's where. That's where I. I could get really upset about it. [01:39:30] Speaker B: Is that the whole cell of celebrity anyways, you know, it's like you. They. They want people to be invested. To be invested in these people's lives and their comings and goings and things like. Like, that's kind of the whole point of it, really, that you do become invested in their life and their. Their choices. And it's. It's an odd thing that we've created. [01:39:53] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, I was gonna say even as far back as, like, old Hollywood, like, you know, classic movies that stars. They were like, you know, monitoring their lives and having them maintain a certain image. And like, with the Internet, it's just like the public's, you know, ability to comment on these things has just increased, like, exponentially, like, all the time. Just Leaving comments everywhere. Like, we see a lot of montages. Like, sometimes I don't like montages that use phones or headlines from the Internet, but I think they're done really well in this movie. Like, they come across really well. And you just see these glimpses of headlines that come out once Selen and Hayes are, like, found by the paparazzi. Like, and people's comments online about her, like, calling her a. And saying she's a terrible mother and like, this. And I'm like, right, that 100 would happen and probably has happened to some of the people who have dated these celebrities. [01:40:42] Speaker B: You can kind of see it a little bit. I don't know if you notice. Like, especially I see it a little bit now with, like, some of the younger celebrities that are coming out, like Timothee Chalamet or even like, Nicholas Galitzine. Like, you can see that when the change happens, like when before they're kind of famous, they're. They seem very, like, authentic and, like, vulnerable and, like, outgoing and are, like, pushed so heavily to do so many interviews, like, over and over again. And then something happens and they become too famous. And then you immediately, like, you can see that the change in them, you know, like, the. The shut off of, like, they. They don't want to talk too much about, like, their personal lives anymore because it becomes too invasive. You could tell that the people around them are becoming, like, targets as well. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, yeah, it's. I think it's a pretty, like, like, volatile, volatile world as we see in this movie. I think they. Yeah, they show this pretty well. [01:41:44] Speaker A: I want to know what you guys think, like, in this story. Do you think Hayes or Selen is, like, more negatively affected by his celebrity? [01:41:54] Speaker B: I mean, I would say Selen probably, right? She's the most negatively affected. I mean, because she's getting, like, nothing out of this situation. Like, at least he's getting, like, a paycheck and, like, living some sort of pop star dream, you know, Whereas, like, she's like, what is she getting out of it? You know, like, nothing. [01:42:15] Speaker C: It is tough. I mean, I feel like his life is kind of already ruined and, like, I feel badly for him in that regard. Like, when can he just, like, be in a relationship? Just go to the restaurant, just go shopping where for her it's all new. And, like, we only see the negative of commentary that, like, the public puts out there. Like, you're a bad mother. And, you know, just this name calling for this woman who's, you know, just also Trying to live her life. So tough, tough, tough to say. [01:42:47] Speaker A: Yeah. One thing that struck me, it's like, we con. We see a lot of what happens to Selen. Like, it's her story. We see all the, you know, the Internet comments and everything and the. And the publicity. But, like, Hayes, like, says to her at one point, should a whole life be ruined? And 14 or something like that, when she's, like, leaving him and everything, he's like, does my whole life have to be ruined for this? I will give up this band. You know, I will. I will leave, you know. So I think, like, it's kind of interesting. We don't really think about that. We think, oh, well, celebrities, like, they've got all this stuff and, like, they don't really have any complaints. But I think there probably is this point at which maybe you can't know how much you might be giving up. Oh, I also wanted to mention, like, in the book, too, he also offers to give up the boy band and Solen, like, in Situation. No, you are not giving that up for me. And it's like, if he had, like, they would have just blamed her for the boy band breaking up, and it probably would have been worse, you know? [01:43:41] Speaker C: Right. One of the headlines was, like, another Yoko or something. And. Yeah, yeah. [01:43:47] Speaker A: So another thing, we talked about this a little bit, too, but I wanted to kind of go back to the title of the movie, the Idea of you. And I think this relates to celebrity in some ways. What is your. What meaning do you take from it? The title? I think it might have several meanings in the movie. [01:44:05] Speaker C: Doesn't she say it to him? I like the Idea of you. [01:44:10] Speaker B: It's when. The first time they break up, when they're in France, I think, and they're breaking up, and she said, like, this has been great. You're beautiful. And I think I just liked the idea of you better than the actual person. I don't know. [01:44:27] Speaker A: Yeah. When she says that, though, she's. I think it's, like, pretty clear from the context that she's obviously not, you know, telling the truth. Like, he's just expressed that he's in love with her. She feels, like, betrayed because, like, his friends were, like, insinuating that he's a player and he wasn't really that interested in her and she's overstayed her welcome and she's too old and all this other stuff that made her feel really insecure. I think she's just trying to build a wall all. [01:44:52] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or the idea. I Mean, even the half truth of, like, I like the idea of you, this young, beautiful man who was into me and not quite grasping the reality of his life as well. And even their age difference, I think. [01:45:11] Speaker A: I think. So which do you think is. Which do you think is the bigger factor in this movie in terms of breaking them apart? The age difference or the celebrity? [01:45:19] Speaker C: The celebrity. [01:45:20] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's the celebrity. [01:45:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I would agree, too. And especially since they made the age difference less in the movie than in the book. Like, in the book, it's a full on. She's 40 and he's 20. And that is like a. I mean, those four years matter, right? Like, the four years between 20 and 24. Like, there's so much going on into. In those years, I feel like, for most people. So. Yeah. [01:45:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:45:46] Speaker A: Okay. And I did want to ask. I think we covered this a little bit, but, like, just one more time, I kind of wanted to say, like, have you ever had, like, a celebrity crush? Like, even when you were a kid? And, like, what is kind of like the craziest celebrity crush you had? Like, what is the weirdest thing you did, if you're willing to admit it? Okay. And if you guys don't want to admit it, I can talk about mine. But, like, have you ever had a celebrity crush? First of all, I mean. [01:46:10] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm. Yeah, when I talk. I talked earlier about the posters that were on my wall. I remember who they were. I was lying. It was like, Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains. It was Johnny Depp from 21 Jump street and I love the guys from 90210. Yeah. Elvis. [01:46:29] Speaker A: Elvis. All right. Okay. [01:46:31] Speaker C: Yes. And as a teenager, I had a big poster of Elvis up in my room. [01:46:35] Speaker A: Room. There you go. All right. [01:46:37] Speaker C: So many of these people are problematic now, and I'm like, oh, geez. But, you know, when I didn't know and when we didn't know, well, was there. [01:46:46] Speaker A: Okay, was there anything crazy you did, like, in terms of, like, having a celebrity crush? No. Like, nothing. [01:46:50] Speaker C: I want to hear yours, man. No. [01:46:52] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. Serena, anything for you. [01:46:57] Speaker B: I mean, I guess it's so hard to say, like, a celebrity crush. Like, like, I mean, of course, there's definitely some, like, big phases. When I was really young, I really liked Will Wheaton because I watched Star Trek and he was, like, the closest to my age. So, like, I was, like, obsessed with him. [01:47:16] Speaker C: I'm with you there. [01:47:17] Speaker B: When I was. When I was pretty young, and he actually turned out to be, like, kind of cool. He's a Writer now. And, like, I'm like, okay, that's like a kind of cool one. Obviously there was like, the. The Lord of the Rings phases and then the Velvet Gold Mine era. You know, like, those were. I don't know if you call them crushes or more of, like, obsessions, really. [01:47:39] Speaker A: And did you. Did you do anything strange, like, to express your celebrity crushes? [01:47:44] Speaker B: I don't know. I mean, I remember, like, just like, pouring over, like, magazines and like, watching every single movie and, you know, connecting all of the dots again. I think it was like, more of a specific thing because I feel like Wil Wheaton was like, my Star Trek obsession. And then like, like, Ewan McGregor was like the Velvet Gold Mine era, the Lord of the Rings. It was kind of like all of them. [01:48:12] Speaker A: Yeah, I did. And here's another question for you guys. Was the crush, like, do you think, was it on the specific person, like the celebrity, like, your ideas of the celebrity speaking of the idea of you, or was it like a character that they played or something like that? Because I think those are two different things. Like, when I had celebrity crushes, I think a lot of times they were more related to the character because I was into movie stars, but it was more that movie character. And if they switched to playing a different character, it was kind of like not a crush anymore. How about for you? [01:48:44] Speaker C: Yeah, I think I would say more of the character, but would love. I mean, gosh, the movie magazines I used to get and, you know, would read the articles and think, like, I was getting some inside something maybe into their acting process or their creative process, which is I was interested in too. But I can't say that it was the actual person, right? Because I really didn't know. [01:49:14] Speaker A: Some people, though, I think, like, they do. Like, it's. It, like, like. Okay, so I'll give my example. So I had, like, this huge crush. Like, I had a lot of, like, movies, movie character crushes when I was young. Like, it started with, like, Han Solo, right? When I was like, you know, probably first grade or something, right? And then Indiana Jones, which was both Harrison Ford, but it was never really a crush on Harrison Ford. It was a crush on those characters. Like, he did other movies where I could not care less. You know what I mean? [01:49:39] Speaker C: Right. [01:49:41] Speaker A: Kevin Costner was my big crush, okay? Like, I saw Dances with Wolves in the eighth grade, and I was, like, obsessed with the character Dances with Wolves. It is so dorky. I had, like, two whole journals full of writing about, mainly about Kevin Costner and Dances with Wolves and Then it transitioned over into Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. He just happened to do two characters in a row that I was, like, obsessed with. I wish I had those diaries. I don't. Like, they got got lost. But. But here's the thing. Like, for me, I really do think, like, it was mostly a character crush. Like, when he went into jfk, I watched it and I tried to kind of be attracted to the guy he was playing jfk, but it really did not work. You know, like, in Waterworld, I was, like, not interested at all. But I do think that was the closest one where I started to, like, worry about Kevin Costner's personal life and try to, like, figure out, you know, if Kevin Costner could possibly ever date me when I was 18 or something. Right. And, like, I think if. [01:50:41] Speaker B: I think you're too old for him now. [01:50:43] Speaker A: I don't know. Actually. I don't know. I don't know who he dates. But, like. But I was thinking to myself, like, if I was trying to imagine this movie, you know, and the story, like, what if my mom somehow had been divorced and then she started dating Kevin Costner? Granted, it would have been age appropriate, but I would have been so upset. I would have been like, mom, you're dating my. My crush. Because in the book, Selen's daughter is still into the band August Mood. So I was trying to put myself in those shoes, and I was like, okay, yeah, I would have been pissed. I would have been upset. All right, so one thing we. We talked about age gaps already in the How Stella Got Her Groove Back episode of our podcast, which is episode 10 of every romcom. And so I don't want to totally, like, go over all the same ground again, but I do want to kind of focus on one particular scene in the movie that actually didn't happen in the book. The scene where Selene sees the young girlfriends and, like, kind of like just girls who are, quote, hanging out with the guys in the band, like, by the pool, and she suddenly gets, like, very self conscious. This did not happen in the book. I want to say in the book, there's not even one moment where Solene is worried about her body, which I kind of actually found very refreshing. [01:51:55] Speaker C: I like that a lot. And I hate this moment in the film. [01:52:00] Speaker A: Yeah, I have to agree. And especially I have to agree because, like, Anne Hathaway's body is, like, ridiculously the ideal of, like, you know, what you're supposed to want to have. I guess, like. Like, you know, I don't think there is an ideal body, quote unquote. But like, you know what? Hollywood wants you to think you should have have. Right. And so to like have her with this body worrying about what she looks like is so demoralizing in some ways, you know? [01:52:28] Speaker C: Yeah, no, in a lot of ways, especially after, like, if this character has been with this young guy, do you. [01:52:35] Speaker A: Know what I mean? [01:52:36] Speaker C: Like, she had the, she had the, the, the chutzpah to go meet him at the, at the hotel, you know what I mean? And that, that dress that was like see through and this and that, you. [01:52:46] Speaker A: Know what I mean? [01:52:47] Speaker C: Like, clearly she was confident there and, and, and every other time that they're together naked in bed and then on the beach in her little bikini, like, if there was any moment to be self conscious with for this character, I wonder if it would not have come sooner with this young man versus, like seeing all these hot little girls in there. Little. And yeah, so I don't know, it would have been awesome to just see her continue to be a confident woman. [01:53:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:53:23] Speaker C: And that, I guess it prefaces a bit. She's already starting to feel uncomfortable. And then the friends start, you know, piling on all of this, like, oh, Hayes is a player. He likes the older women, blah, blah, blah, to just like add to her discomfort already, I guess. But it could have done without it demoralizing. [01:53:48] Speaker A: I think an interesting choice might have been too if like, she had gone out there in her bikini and felt pretty good about herself. And then they started talking about like, you know, Hayes, like having previously seduced that Swedish actress who was in her 30s. Right. And then them saying that she was clueless and dangerous, didn't leave soon enough or whatever. And then if she put on a shirt like that, I feel like would have been an interesting, like, you know, like, like a sign that she. Because, like, sometimes if I feel really like, insecure and I'm in a situation where I was like, naked or like wearing underwear, I will put on clothes. That's like an automatic reaction I've had. You know, if I get in an argument with someone I'm with and like, I just feel, I, I feel naked emotionally. So I don't want to be naked, literally, you know. [01:54:33] Speaker C: Right. Oh, I like that, Jen. That would have been really great. Yes. As a sign of like, needing to protect herself in this mo. Ah, I like that much better. Yeah. And, yeah, it bugged me so much. [01:54:47] Speaker A: How about you, Serena? Any takes on that scene? Anything about it? [01:54:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I think for. I think it's just when it became so obvious that there was an age gap, because I feel like when they're together, they don't. Don't. She didn't really feel it. Like, he doesn't make her feel like that. And I think that's when it, like, kind of comes out. You know what I mean? Is that who these other girls are in his age range? I don't know. I feel like there's just like the awareness of it all of a sudden. Even though I guess they had been with them the whole time, but maybe. [01:55:20] Speaker A: They had stayed more on their own, though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They were bitchy to her too. I did not like that. Like, they were even like, dating. We're just hanging out. It's like dating is so retro. [01:55:35] Speaker B: I mean, but that's what that generation's like. I mean, I don't know if they're. [01:55:39] Speaker A: Like that as a whole. I think there's probably a certain element of that. But, like, I know people, like, not maybe that young, but like, almost that young, and they're dating. They're having a. I mean, they're having a poly relationship, but it's a real relationship. And they call each other boyfriend and girlfriend or partners. You know what I mean? It's not like it's so, like, you know, cheesy or something to be. Have a boyfriend. I don't know. [01:56:02] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't. Yeah, I mean, I don't. I don't see that. And where I work with a lot of younger people and they all talk about, you know, their situationships and ghosting and like all of the things and dating apps, you know, and like, it's just. It's a different. [01:56:20] Speaker A: Different world for sure. But, like, I think I. I don't think, like, though, that no one is dating. You know what I mean? I don't think there's no one who's. [01:56:26] Speaker B: Committed to each other. [01:56:28] Speaker A: But anyway, I just wanted to say I. I think, like, those girls were, like, sort of almost ridiculously mean to her. And I was just like, what. What is going on here? Okay, so I just wanted to also shout out there have been some other, like, older women, younger men movies recently. Did you guys see any of these? Like, there's A Family Affair. The Perfect find. Baby Girl. I still haven't seen Baby Girl. And I know, Sophia, you've got one you're going to talk about in the double feature recommendations as well, but have you seen any of those that I just mentioned or. [01:56:59] Speaker C: No. [01:57:00] Speaker B: I saw A Family Affair. [01:57:02] Speaker A: Okay, you did see that one? [01:57:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:57:03] Speaker A: What did you think? About that one. In comparison, that's with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron and their age gap in real life the actors have a 20 year age difference. [01:57:13] Speaker B: I mean overall I didn't think that it was like a great movie. It was a little more like slapstick comedy. [01:57:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:57:21] Speaker B: Element to it. But yeah, there was also a celebrity part of that as well. This is actually very, that's a very similar movie in a weird way. But again, I don't. Yeah. I'm not sure why this is like coming up all of a sudden that this is like a. I guess with Nicole Kidman too, because I, I also would like to see Baby Girl. Yeah. I wonder why Nicole Kidman's are all of a sudden been picked to be like the cougar. [01:57:47] Speaker A: Why? It's funny we use the term cougar and I think like it's being used affectionately by you, I would say. But like it's used like against Solen in this movie. Like it's a bad thing. So it's like. [01:57:56] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [01:57:57] Speaker A: Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? I don't know. [01:58:00] Speaker B: Again, again, I have a 10 year, I have a 10 year age gap with, with Patrick, with, with my boyfriend. It doesn't seem like anything at all. But I guess when we started dating he was, was 24 and I was 34. Maybe 25 and 35. And I guess that was, I guess that was kind of weird. I, I don't know. It's not weird when we're together, you know? [01:58:23] Speaker C: Sure, right. [01:58:24] Speaker A: Yeah. For me 10 years is nothing too like. So I'm kind of like. Yeah, yeah, it's okay. [01:58:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:58:28] Speaker A: Okay. [01:58:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:58:30] Speaker A: Like this, this movie, the actors Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine are actually only 12 years, eight apart in age. Like I believe really in, in the book's plot they were 20 years apart, but in real life they're only 12 years apart as actors. So like the idea of you is very hot. It's like definitely brought sex into the equation in a, in a good way I think. But like they really pulled back on like, oh, we're not going to let these people look too far apart in age. You know what I mean? [01:58:56] Speaker C: Interesting. [01:58:57] Speaker A: Whereas a family affair like Serena says is a little more slapstick. It's not quite as hot. But like Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman do have a real like 20 years age difference there. So yeah, it's. They, they did go for that anyway. And yes, it also does involve celebrities. Zac Efron plays a celebrity and Nicole Kidman plays the mom of his assistant who is really sick of working for him. [01:59:22] Speaker B: Not to. Not to segue, like, not to get off topic too much, but have you ever seen the movie the Mother? [01:59:28] Speaker A: No, I haven't seen that one. What's that there? [01:59:30] Speaker B: It's. It's a. A. It's an age gap, like, affair, relationship, where it's with Daniel Craig. It was made a few years ago, and he's in his 30s, and he ends up having a sexual relationship. And there's a lot of, like, pretty explicit scenes with a woman who's in her 60s. [01:59:46] Speaker A: Oh, nice. [01:59:47] Speaker B: And it's very. Yeah, it's really interesting because it's, you know, it's like, kind of jarring. There was also another movie that. With. With what's her name, Emma Thompson, that came out. [01:59:58] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [02:00:01] Speaker B: Another big age gap. And I think it is interesting to see, like, even. Even older than that. You know what I mean? Because there's plenty of men who are with women that are in their 20s and they're in their 60s or 70s. Like, that's. [02:00:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:00:13] Speaker B: I wouldn't say it's common, but, yeah. [02:00:16] Speaker A: The Leo Grande movie is a little different. I'm trying to think of the whole title. I just remember the Leo Grande part, but, like, good luck to you. [02:00:22] Speaker C: You. Leo Grande. [02:00:23] Speaker A: Yes. I mean, that one's a little different because it is like a sex work situation. So it's more transactional. But, like. Yeah, it was still, like, a bold. You know, it was still a bold movie in some ways because we're not used to seeing the sexuality of women over a certain age portrayed, you know, like, I mean, Harold Ahmad didn't really go for that too much. A little bit, but, like, not too much. So it's more often, like, played as, like, a joke, you know, like, you might see it in a skit in something. So, yeah, I think we are making strides. I wonder if part of the reason we're making strides is we have, like, a generation of actresses who are, like, not willing to be put away, you know, and who've maybe become producers, have a little more power. Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Emma Thompson all certainly have a lot of clout, and maybe they're just refusing to let go of their clout. Finally, the perfect find, the Gabrielle Union age gap. Like, she's a producer on that. So, like, their people are putting together their own projects, too, for sure. [02:01:22] Speaker C: I love it. [02:01:23] Speaker A: Great. [02:01:24] Speaker C: Good. It ain't over till it's over. [02:01:28] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean. Yeah. Like, isn't that did you. Is that from Moonstruck? Actually that was. [02:01:36] Speaker C: I mean, it's like anybody can say that. Everybody says that, hey, it ain't over till it's over. But I love that in that film, you know, where, where Olympia Dukakis and Cher is sitting there, their mother and daughter and you know, the mom's asking, you gonna have kids? And the share characters like, I'm 30, I'm 37, I'm 38, I'm too old to have kids. And her mom goes, it ain't over till it's over. And I'm like, I freaking love that perspective. It just. And I, and I love that in life, like, don't let age say, oh, I couldn't do that now I'm such and such. You're not dead yet. You know, go for it. So to put like, especially these things of like 40. Something supposed to happen at 40. Well, not necessarily, you know, I don't. You're not, you're not a dried up prune at 40. [02:02:34] Speaker B: And I do think there is so much life, there is such an obsession with like youth culture, you know, and I think there's a backlash to that now that's happening because I mean, women are so bombarded with trying to stay young. You know, I could, the amount of people I know, friends I know now who are like starting to get Botox, starting to get fillers, you know who I mean? Dyeing your hair is one thing, but like it's, it's really become a common thing in our, in society for women of a certain age to just, just try really hard to stay young looking. [02:03:10] Speaker A: You know, there's like apparently like 20 year olds getting Botox, like not 20, but like in their 20s. And I'm just like, what are you even doing? [02:03:18] Speaker B: Yeah, preventative. It's preventative. [02:03:21] Speaker A: Oh God. [02:03:22] Speaker C: Start young. So then as you get older, like it's not so like, oh, she's had work done. [02:03:27] Speaker A: Yes, I'm, I'm going to look like a Hague. I've decided like you don't. One. One thing. Okay, Like I will say one thing that becoming disabled, like with Long Covid, like I'm partially disabled, I'm not able to get around as much. But like Long Covet has kind of taught me like what's important and I'm so not vain anymore. I used to be so much more vain and like I've gotten over so much of that now, you know, like, it's like, just for me, like it takes so much effort to get ready to go out that, like, I have to really reduce it to, like, the minimal, the minimum I can do. Sometimes I just have to throw my hair in a ponytail, put on a clean pair of sweatpants, and that's about it. Like, and just. Because the important thing is to get out and be out and live your life. It's not, like, how you look doing it. I mean, if people have the energy and they want to look beautiful and they want to do that, great. But, like, the pressure that we put on ourselves to, like, look a certain way is terrible, in my opinion. And now I feel like I'm going way far afield. But I just want to say, like. Like, I hope more people will decide that they can age the way they want to. Like, Pamela Anderson's doing a no makeup thing now, which is kind of awesome. I think she was kind of the other direction, you know, with, like, plastic surgery, and now she's becoming, like, kind of a ambassador for being natural. I don't know if you guys know about that, but I saw that. [02:04:43] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. [02:04:46] Speaker A: All right. Yeah, we better get back to the. The deal. Okay. So. Yeah, so Selene does end up breaking up with Hayes at this point and going home. And as soon as she gets home, she finds out that Hayes has bought her the painting that she loves the most that he found out about at her warehouse called Unclose Me. But then after that wonderful discovery, she has the unfortunate discovery. Hayes lets her know that the paparazzi have gotten a hold of pictures of her and him, and it's all over the Internet. And we talked about that already. The backlash she received leaves in the book. Okay, I'm gonna give away most of the book things before we get to the book section, but in the book, it's, like, actually a more sexual picture that comes out. So. Yeah, the paparazzi have managed to get something sexual happening between them, so it's much more high stakes here. It's just like they're hanging out together. [02:05:39] Speaker C: What I said, that's awful. [02:05:41] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, it happens, though, right? [02:05:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:05:45] Speaker A: And now we have a scene where Selene goes to pick up Izzy from her camp, and all the people at the camp know what's happened because apparently everybody's keyed into the gossip. [02:05:55] Speaker C: It's a little over the top. I mean, really, everybody's on the Internet and, like, would approach her like that. I mean, I don't know. I. Yeah, I. I don't know. Do you think that would really happen? [02:06:08] Speaker B: Yes, I think it would really happen. Yeah. [02:06:11] Speaker C: Oh, geez. [02:06:14] Speaker B: Yeah. Definitely. I mean, definitely with, like, the campers themselves. And then the campers themselves. I'm assuming you would do. Do kids communicate with their parents? I don't know. [02:06:24] Speaker A: Like, the one that was, like, ridiculous to me was the mom who was, like, blaming Selen for her daughter being upset about, like, it's like, your daughter's gotta face reality at some point, lady. [02:06:38] Speaker C: Totally, totally. [02:06:39] Speaker B: He's like, my dog is heartbroken. [02:06:41] Speaker C: Yeah, but that is stupid. People say, right? Like, was she just trying to make conversation or really, like, blame this stranger for her kid. Her kid's celebrity crush? Right? Like, that's the. That's the teaching moment for that mom to be like, honey, this person doesn't know you and doesn't really care. Like, get. I don't know. [02:07:05] Speaker A: They don't belong to you. I think that's the thing. These celebrities do not belong to. To you. Yeah. Just because you have an interest in them. In fact, nobody belongs to anybody just because a person has an interest in them, you know? All right, so we have a clip now. Izzy in. In. In the movie. Not in the book so much, but in the movie, Izzy is only mad at Slynn because she kept this from her and she had to find out about it with the rest of the world. And Izzy kind of, you know, takes her to task for not being truthful, but then they have a little bit more of a talk. So I'm gonna play a clip of that for everyone. People on the Internet that are picking you apart are disgusting. It's because you're a woman, and it's because you're older than him. They hate you for it. So that's just hypocritical and unfair and wrong. You like him? Yeah, I do. Is he a feminist? Because that's important here. [02:08:15] Speaker C: I mean, he is still a guy, right? [02:08:17] Speaker A: But. [02:08:21] Speaker B: Yeah, he's a feminist. [02:08:24] Speaker A: Why would you break up with a talented kind feminist? We can go ahead and skip to. We go ahead and talk about now the mother daughter relationship in the movie, because I think it's so important. And like, they. By aging up the character of Izzy a little bit, I think it, you know, added another dimension to that, especially Sophia. What do you think about this mother daughter relationship in the movie? [02:08:46] Speaker C: Oh, it's really sweet. And I can only hope that my kid, as she ages, you know, is that likes me and talks to me. We're in a good spot right now. But yeah, that's why a lot I've talked. I said earlier why a lot of this is sad for me is like, it's those moments that she's with her daughter and, like, they're having fun in the car singing together. And then, you know, liking your kids, friends is also a big deal. And, you know, they're in your life and, and. And you're responsible for them to a degree. And so then, you know, she's at Coachella with all of them, and then they run off and you're like, want your kid to go have fun? But then you're like, I'm alone and okay, I'll just go read a book in a corner and. And she also cries when she drops her off at camp. [02:09:41] Speaker B: It did kind of show, you know, good or bad, you know, that someone's a. A. A single parent now and, like, her daughter is her world, you know? [02:09:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:09:50] Speaker B: And like, so I think there's like, good and bad things that go along with it. I mean, not bad that that's her world, but in a way. You can see Selen, you know, when she tries to go on the camping trip by herself, and when she, you know, all of these things come up. It just kind of shows, like, how much sacrifice does go into raising a child. A selflessness, you know, that has to come into play a lot of times. [02:10:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Author Robin Lee of the book the Idea of youf Actually was interviewed by a blogger, Deborah Kalb, and she said, I wanted to look at what it is to be a mother and to have the onus of always putting someone else's wants and needs before your own. What it means to sacrifice your own happiness and pleasure and freedom for your offsprings. And so, yeah, that was supposed to be definitely a major theme here in the story. I mean, her daughter being affected by Hayes's celebrity is why she ends up breaking up with him for the second time. [02:10:46] Speaker C: Yep. [02:10:48] Speaker B: And I think it's pretty. It's pretty obvious too, that, like, her husband didn't. Didn't feel the same way. Like, her husband was willing to sacrifice the family for his own wants and needs, you know, and. And you can kind of see that. That difference, you know, so not just. [02:11:05] Speaker A: Like, that he cheated on her and left, like, but also that he. Like when they were planning to go to Coachella, he's just like, well, I got this business thing that just came up, and I'm gonna choose that over my daughter. [02:11:15] Speaker B: Right, exactly. Exactly. [02:11:18] Speaker C: I thought it was portrayed very well because again, like I said, it's a, you know, always a combination of, you know, holding close and letting go and being there, but letting go and, you know, of Course, I'll take you and all your friends to Coachella, but then, of course, go off by yourselves, and you know what I'm saying? So the. What, What? The Robin Lee quote is really spot on. [02:11:47] Speaker A: Yeah. And she's also a mother. Yeah. So she definitely has that. Not a single mother, but a mother, so. And yeah, you don't have to be a single mother to sacrifice either. My mom sacrificed plenty of. [02:11:59] Speaker C: It's true. But, you know, there is a difference. And I want to shout out to single folks out there, you know, single parents. It's a different ball of wax. [02:12:10] Speaker A: So. Yeah. So plot wise, we have, like, Hayes and Selene do start dating again. One of my favorite scenes is when Daniel comes over to the house to kind of pick up Izzy for school, but also to, like, yell at Selen, but he has this encounter with hate, like, and he says, what's your end game, bro? Nicholas Galatine's like, bro, I didn't realize we're on bro terms. I don't know why, but his expression there. This cracks me up so much. Am I the only one who thought that was hilarious? [02:12:39] Speaker B: No, that was a good scene. [02:12:40] Speaker C: It was a good scene. [02:12:43] Speaker A: Yeah. And that's got to be, like, a bruising for Daniel to, like, see this, like, hot young guy, like, who's famous and rich, like, like, with his wife, so. With his ex wife. [02:12:53] Speaker C: Ex wife, yeah. [02:12:54] Speaker A: He keeps calling her his wife, though. Like, he's territorial. [02:12:59] Speaker C: That's. Take a walk, pal. [02:13:04] Speaker A: And then Izzy is being. Being bullied at school, though. Like, people are saying really hurtful things to her. Part of me was like, oh, man. Like, you know, everyone gets bullied. Like, you know, you should be able to deal with it. But then I was. Then, like I said, I put myself in the. The shoes of, like. But what if my mom had dated, like, Kevin Costner? [02:13:25] Speaker C: Yeah, what if. [02:13:27] Speaker A: Oh, man. And I was like, yeah, that would have been hard. Especially, like. Yeah. Anyway. Especially in the Internet age. There are pictures of my mom and Kevin Costner everywhere, and I have to deal with people razzing me about it. So. Yeah. [02:13:40] Speaker C: Geez. Yeah. What do famous kids deal with? My gosh. [02:13:46] Speaker A: Yeah, Probably. Well, I bet a lot of them go to schools with other famous kids so they don't have to be, you know, bullied. You know what I mean? [02:13:53] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:13:54] Speaker A: Like, there's definitely, I think, schools in LA where, like, it would not be a big deal and the other kids would not be treating you like this because it would just be like a Tuesday. Like, oh, your mom's Dating him. My mom's dating that guy. Whatever, right? I'm actually kind of surprised Izzy isn't going to a school more like that. Like kind of an elite school, you know what I mean? Because, like, she does seem to be like Serena. Like you said, kind of rich. Right? [02:14:19] Speaker B: Right. [02:14:19] Speaker C: Well, she is in a private school. They're wearing uniforms. [02:14:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:14:23] Speaker C: So what's. [02:14:24] Speaker A: What's their damage like? I don't know. [02:14:27] Speaker C: I guess not all private school. Like, you don't have to be a private school to wear a uniform. But that was my. That's what I thought. [02:14:34] Speaker B: Somebody. [02:14:36] Speaker A: Somebody else's mom there has got to be dating some kind of age inappropriate celebrity. [02:14:40] Speaker B: Come on. [02:14:40] Speaker C: You're right. [02:14:41] Speaker B: It's true. [02:14:42] Speaker C: You're right. [02:14:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:14:43] Speaker C: What are these kids getting all. [02:14:45] Speaker A: Well, whatever. They. They're. They're. And. And Selen cannot. Selen cannot deal in the end with her daughter being subjected to all this, so she decides to break up with Hayes. And there's this, like, emotional scene where they're talking together and. Anything you want to say about that scene before I put. Put my two cents in. [02:15:04] Speaker B: It's very emotional, very, like, touching. And you kind of, like, hate it too. Like, there is. There's so many times I was watching it where I was just like, really? Do they have to do this? Can't they, like, figure it? Can't they just move, like, right, Like, I don't. You know what I mean? I was just like. I was like, oh, is it really that, like, extreme that they have to break up? Like, there's nothing worse. And it's. It's happened to me, I guess, a couple times. There's nothing worse than. Than breaking up with someone who you're still, like, completely in love with. And there's no. There's no real. Like, it's not like you. Like there's been fighting or like the. The love has gone away. It's like you're still so involved with them, you know? And that is just so heartbreaking. [02:15:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:15:49] Speaker B: And that scene was really beautiful too. That. That scene where they're, like, hugging in the house, like, ugh. [02:15:55] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:15:56] Speaker B: You also are. As I'm watching that too. And again, I guess maybe people have a certain age and you realize, like, you don't always get that many chances, you know what I mean? To find someone that you're that connected to. You know what I mean? Like, sometimes you. You do kind of just need to be like, well, you're it, you know, like, thicker, thin. I mean, I'm assuming that's what marriage is. I'm not married, but I'm assuming that's like, the. The point of marriage. [02:16:23] Speaker A: I mean, there are people who don't get that kind of relationship their entire life. [02:16:26] Speaker B: Right, Exactly. So it's like. It's, like, horrible to, like, watch that. You're like, oh, really? [02:16:32] Speaker A: You're gonna like the kid. The kid becomes like that for you too. I. I haven't had that experience, but I'm good. People always say. Parents say that, like, it's different. And you don't know until you have a kid. Do you concur with that, Sophia? [02:16:46] Speaker C: I mean, yeah. Yeah. Because I didn't have one, and I have one, and it was different. [02:16:53] Speaker B: It was. [02:16:54] Speaker C: It was very different. [02:16:57] Speaker A: Like, the kid goes into first place. Like, no matter what you have. Like, in some. [02:17:00] Speaker C: Pretty much. Pretty much. I mean, there's moments of being like, again, everything's like a teaching moment. Be like, okay, we need to compromise. Mama has a need, and I'm gonna go now. You know what I mean? So. And like, these. But you gotta pick it. You gotta pick your fights and you gotta. Or your battles, as they say. And, yeah, they're not fights, they're points. [02:17:27] Speaker B: And obviously, there's plenty of mothers or parents that do not put their children first, you know, how many times, you know, have you seen. I mean, I remember growing up, like, friends with stepdads and moms with boyfriends. Like, the mother did not give a. If they were got. Getting along or whatever ever, you know? Like. So I think. I guess it's just showing that Solen's a good mother, I suppose. [02:17:55] Speaker A: Yeah. But I. There was part of me too, though, Serena, that was like, couldn't they just, like, get a house with better security and. [02:18:02] Speaker C: Totally. [02:18:02] Speaker B: Right. [02:18:03] Speaker C: Yeah, totally wanted that, too. Yes. [02:18:06] Speaker A: Go to a school with a few people, like, who have Hollywood parents and where they're going to be blase. I don't know. [02:18:12] Speaker B: Get her a therapist. Get her therapist. [02:18:14] Speaker C: Right? Yeah. [02:18:16] Speaker A: And it's not like her best friends cared. Her best friends were totally with her. Like, dude, like, I barely had any friends in middle school and I survived. [02:18:23] Speaker B: But, yeah, one of those things where, like, when you are a teenager, things are so intensified. You know what I mean? Like, when she's talking. When Izzy's talking about, like, oh, this guy I liked in band class or something. [02:18:35] Speaker A: Yes. [02:18:36] Speaker B: And, like, there's a part of me that was like, who cares? Like, that this. This kid you liked made a comment about your mom. You know, wait, let me know when your mom tell your mom, when I turn 18. You know what I mean? And you're like, well, you don't want to date that guy anyway. [02:18:50] Speaker A: Exactly. He. [02:18:51] Speaker C: Just show your hand. You can do better. Honey, that is trash. Yes. [02:18:56] Speaker B: Right. So you realize, like, how. How. I guess dramatic. I don't know what the word is, you know, how intense, you know, those feelings are that kind of seem unimportant, you know, looking. Looking back on it. [02:19:09] Speaker C: Sure. Yeah. [02:19:11] Speaker A: Yeah. The book definitely, like, ramped up the pressure there, too. Like, somebody vandalizes the art gallery in the book, she gets sent, like, mysterious packages that are kind of threatening. Like, so it's like. Yeah, it's definitely a whole different level of, like, threat in the book that causes their breakup. [02:19:28] Speaker C: So. [02:19:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:19:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:19:29] Speaker A: I mean, it's ultimately for the daughter, but, like, this other stuff is also mounting pressure at the same time. So. Yeah. So, like, they do break up, but Hayes leaves his watch behind, and this time he lets her see him do it. And it's so such a nice moment, I thought. [02:19:47] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:19:47] Speaker A: And they agree that they'll revisit this in five years, but they're not going to, like, you know, miss their chances. But they'll revisit it in five years. When I saw it five years later, I was like, oh, thank God. You know? [02:19:59] Speaker C: Right. Of course it had. Yes, of course. It couldn't have ended any other way. I don't know. Is it too spoiler to say? How does it end in the book? [02:20:08] Speaker A: It is not a happy ending in the book. I think I. I think you should know that if you read the book, to be honest, because if you read it and you're hoping for a happy ending, you will be sad. So just. And I knew that it wasn't happy when I went to read it and did not destroy my appreciation of the book. So it's. It's still a good read. It's definitely a good read. But, like. Like, I think it's more understandable, you know, that there's no five years later in the book. Like, it makes more sense with what you've read, I think, in this story, though. Like, come on. Like, why shouldn't they? You know, why shouldn't they? So, yeah. So we see Selena and Izzy first on a FaceTime call, and she's in college. She's in Chicago, I suppose, in Chicago, nobody's gonna harass her magically. [02:20:49] Speaker C: Yeah, right. That's funny. [02:20:50] Speaker A: And then we see Selene flipping through channels, and she runs into Hayes on TV and performing a new song, his solo song. And, like, that's, that's crazy. Like, how many times must she have seen his face, you know, in those five years? [02:21:04] Speaker C: Right? [02:21:05] Speaker B: Or like, stop. [02:21:07] Speaker C: Right, right. Was she stalking him or was she being intentionally like. I'm not even gonna look. I'm not even gonna. [02:21:14] Speaker A: Yeah, it would be hard. It would be really hard to resist, you know, I don't know. But she ends up seeing him. He's on like the Graham Norton show in the, in the movie. And, and he says that he's planning a holiday soon to visit la. There's someone he wants to see. And he's like looking directly at the screen when he says it. [02:21:31] Speaker C: Right. [02:21:32] Speaker A: I know, it's so great. And then she's still kind of shrugging it off, like, oh, it's probably not about me. You know what I mean? [02:21:40] Speaker C: Right. [02:21:41] Speaker A: She looks so humble, but nevertheless, she goes to her gallery and she goes to work. She's wearing this fantastic red suit like in the, in the final scene, and. [02:21:51] Speaker C: She'S wearing the watch. [02:21:53] Speaker A: Oh, is she? [02:21:54] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:21:55] Speaker A: Oh, I didn't notice that. [02:21:57] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't know if I noticed the first time I caught it quickly the, the second time. [02:22:03] Speaker A: You noticed that too, Serena? [02:22:05] Speaker B: Yeah, I did notice it. Yeah. Yeah. [02:22:07] Speaker A: Oh, man, I gotta up my noticing game here. [02:22:10] Speaker C: So like, maybe she's not like watching his videos online, but she's, she's wearing the watch. [02:22:16] Speaker A: Nice. [02:22:17] Speaker B: And somehow she looks younger than she did before. I'm like giving her like a white streak or something in her hair, like. Yes, they're like a little bit. You know what I mean? Like. I know, I know that. I guess. So she's supposed to be 45. 45 isn't like that old. But they aged him up, you know, he looked kind of different. I think him some facial hair or something, you know, I hated the hair. [02:22:40] Speaker C: That was awful. [02:22:42] Speaker A: Like some stubble. They gave him a little bit of stubble. [02:22:45] Speaker B: Yeah, like put some dirt on his face or something. Like, I don't know why he looked interesting. [02:22:51] Speaker A: Yeah, it kind of made him look like he was like a 14 year old trying to grow a beard though, unfortunately. [02:22:56] Speaker C: Terrible. [02:22:57] Speaker A: Yeah. But at the same time, this is a scene I was talking about earlier in the podcast. There's a scene that I have to like rewind and watch again. Every time I watch it, I always, always them looking at each other when he comes into the gallery and he turns around and she looks at him and they're smiling and looking at each other and like they keep cutting back and forth. I rewind it every time because like they are so good in this section. They're so good in this scene at expressing their love for each other. Like, right there's. Their acting is so great here. I don't know. You feel the same thing. Like. [02:23:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And do you notice how every time they, like, meet in those moments, they just say hi to each other? So it's like the first time in the bathroom, and then when she goes to the hotel room. And then in that last scene, they just say hi and, like, stare at each other. So it's like that continuation, you know. [02:23:46] Speaker C: Nice. I did not catch that one. Yeah, I do. I love that they don't. I guess they said hi. I didn't even notice it at the end. But, like, they don't have to say anything else, but you see it all on their faces. Yep. It's pretty brilliant. [02:24:01] Speaker A: So what do you guys think? What will. What will happen in the future for Selen and Hayes? If you were. If you were puzzling it out, if you. If you had to make a sequel, I mean, maybe not. If you had to make a sequel, what do you think would happen to these characters in real life? [02:24:13] Speaker C: Oh, happily ever after. [02:24:15] Speaker B: I know. Is there such a thing? [02:24:17] Speaker A: Sure. Yeah. There's more or less happily ever after, you know? [02:24:22] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, obviously, like. Like, five years is a long time to, like, carry a torch for someone. So I'm assuming they get back together and she doesn't have to worry about her daughter anymore and they just get to have a relationship, you know? [02:24:40] Speaker A: Yeah. For me, the only real obstacle I could see is, like, if, like, her work and his work would mesh or if he really wanted to have kids, you know, that's the only two things I could see. And maybe an issue. It's like, if he's on tour a lot and, like, she wants to be with him, she's got this gallery to run. I mean, that could be a problem. Or if he decides he wants children that aren't adopted. Or. Or maybe she doesn't want to deal with adopted children either. I mean, she's had a kid, so I don't know. [02:25:05] Speaker C: Right. In my story, he's semi retired. He's built a career. He's had a career since he's 14. He's done this. And he says to Graham Norton, and Graham says it, too. You've been touring? Touring, touring. And he's like, yep, I'm taking a break. Break now. Like, I think he's gonna maybe have, like, one big concert a year kind of thing if. If that. And maybe he's gonna just record a little. Like, I think he's. [02:25:30] Speaker B: He'll be a producer now. He'll be a producer. [02:25:31] Speaker C: He's a producer now? That's right. [02:25:33] Speaker A: Right. [02:25:34] Speaker B: He's songwriting, doing some songwriting for other boy bands. [02:25:38] Speaker C: You know, like, he wants to be with her in her sweet little bungalow with her gallery. [02:25:44] Speaker B: Yeah, I like what Sophia said. No, that's that, like, kind of. Yeah. Now he's, like, I would say, turns into, like, a producer, singer, songwriter, writing songs for other people. [02:25:55] Speaker C: Settle down, home base there in la. There's a scene. Yeah, he's set. He's good. [02:26:02] Speaker B: We can't even go, like, even farther. Like, you say, like, oh, maybe they want a kid. Maybe, like, Izzy has a kid that she doesn't want to raise, so she gives it to them to raise. [02:26:12] Speaker C: I don't see kids for them at all. I don't even think that comes up. That's funny. [02:26:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I like it. Maybe they raise, like, strange small dogs or something. [02:26:22] Speaker C: They get a dog. Yep. [02:26:23] Speaker A: Yeah. I don't know. [02:26:24] Speaker C: They have a fur baby. Perfect. [02:26:27] Speaker A: All right, so before we finish and get into our double feature recommendations, I did want to shout out and tell a little bit about author Robin Lee. She's the one that created this whole story in the first place. And I think a lot of people might not be aware that, like, a black author was behind this whole, like, very white story. You know, like. Like a lot of times, like, black women are not able to tell their own stories because they're not selling. Which indeed was, unfortunately, the case with Robin Lee. She basically said that she had been working on a novel before the Idea of youf, which was, like, a black woman story, and she was unable to sell that novel. So for her next novel, the Idea of youf, she started writing about two white characters to make it more marketable. It's. It's hard not to feel, like, two very different ways about that. Like, on the one hand, like, good for her. She, like, sold her novel. On the other hand, like, kind of shame on society for, like, being like that. So, yeah, The Idea of you was written by Robin Lee. She was born in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1974, and she graduated from Yale and Columbia Law School. I'm like, damn, woman. Like, wow. Not only are you, like, a qualified to be a lawyer, you're also, like, a writer and an actress. So she's, like, doing all kinds of stuff. Her feature film debut was 1998 in the movie have Plenty. Then after that, she acted in a number of other TV series, indie movies, and a few bigger movies. Some of the more recognizable projects she acted in were Deliver Us from Eva, Hitch, 7 pounds, and 50 Shades Darker and 50 Shades Freedom. So she's been kind of acting like throughout her entire life. She told blogger Deborah Kalb that the idea for the book to the Idea of youf came when she was looking at music videos and joked to her husband that she might leave him for an aesthetically pleasing singer. I'm pretty sure that singer is Harry Styles, but she's gotten so sick of, like, people associating this book with Harry Styles that she stopped talking about it. But anyway, she said her husband then said it would make a great idea for a book book if she wrote about someone, like, leaving their husband, I guess, to be with a singer. But, you know, obviously it changed the story is not that. The book itself was released as a mass market paperback in June 2017. Vogue in December of 2020 wrote about the book's gradual journey to success and said sales of the book increased 20% over 2019, according to St. Martin's Press, but have climbed every year since its publication, making it a bona fide sleeper hit. And apparently there's like, a huge fandom around the book at the time. There were like, August Moon T shirts even before this movie came out. So, yeah, it was like a whole thing, like. And it was kind of tied up a little bit with the Harry Styles One Direction fandom apparently. Interesting, since she's an actress. Robin Lee recorded the audiobook version of the Idea of you. So, like, if that's something you're into audiobooks, you can hear the author, herself, herself reading it. And Lee has kind of been annoyed about the press around the Idea of you. She wrote an entire May 2024 essay for Time magazine defending her work. So I think that's worth reading if you're at all interested in this film or the book. Like, she's just kind of defending what she was trying to setting out to do after hearing her book called Fanfiction by so Many People. In the essays, she cites a passage from the book where Solene is talking to Hayes about his music. Like, Hayes is kind of down on his music and Solene's trying to reassure him. And she says, we have this problem in our culture. We take art that appeals to women, film, books, music, and we undervalue it. We assume it can't be high art, especially if it's not dark and tortured and wailing. And it follows that much of the art is created by other women. And so we undervalue them as well. We wrap it up in a pretty pink package and resist calling it art. And again, here's another one of these quotes that applies to rom coms as much as it applies to this particular story. So. And right now, Leah is still continuing to work as an actress, but she's also still writing. I haven't been able to find an interview, though, where she tells what kind of story she's writing. Some people have wanted her to write an Idea View sequel. She says she's written, like, little pieces of what could be one, but it's not what she's primarily working on. So, yeah, I think Robin Lee is a really interesting creator. She's definitely done a wide variety of things, and I hope she ends up writing some more books. And, yeah, maybe we'll see movies made out of them, too. As to the book, again, I totally recommend, if you're interested, if you like the movie. I think you will like the book, but it is very different and it's very erotic compared to the movie. Like, again, the movie, like, it's kind of hot. Yeah, the movie's kind of hot, but the book has, like, got, like, some legit get. Like, I would almost say, like, erotica scenes. Like, I think it's just as hot as, like, you know, like a. I didn't actually think 50 shades of gray was very hot. I didn't think it was that well done, but. Sorry if anyone's a huge fan, but, like, I. I think this is actually pretty well done. Yeah, it's definitely not something you want to, like. Don't read it if you don't want to, like, get excited. I don't know. [02:31:31] Speaker C: Well, do you watch? Do you read romance? [02:31:34] Speaker A: I do sometimes. Yeah. It's definitely, like. It's like. It's. It's got some sex scenes, but, like, they're pretty involved at sometimes. It borders on erotica at times. [02:31:43] Speaker C: So. [02:31:44] Speaker A: Yeah. But, yeah, I got it from the library. Glad that I read it. My copy, for some reason, smelled like perfume very strongly, so I don't know what was going on with the last person. [02:31:56] Speaker C: Okay. [02:31:57] Speaker A: Anyway, I was like, was this book scented? Like, did it arrive? [02:32:03] Speaker C: Someone at the library? [02:32:04] Speaker A: Someone, like, all the. You all need to check it out from the library now yourselves. And you have to tell me whether your book also smells like perfume. That's why. [02:32:14] Speaker C: That'S funny. [02:32:15] Speaker A: All right, Any final thoughts, or should we move on to our double feature recommendations? [02:32:19] Speaker C: Oh, let's do double features. [02:32:21] Speaker A: I guess I can go first. Like, my first double Feature recommendation is with Nicholas Galitzine. It's kind of fairly earlier in his career. It's the movie Handsome, Handsome Devil from 2016. I pretty much liked everything I've seen with Nicholas Galitzine, though. And Handsome Devil, though was like a different level. I was just like one of those movies where at the end I was just like really smiling and grinning and I felt like uplifted as a human, you know what I mean? It's. It's an LGBT coming of age story and Nicholas Galitzine isn't the star, but he's kind of like the second lead in the movie. And it's about a boy's school where the whole school is kind of obsessed with rugby. And Nicholas Galitzine is this new rugby player who moves in with the main character, and the main character is being bullied by the other people at the school for being gay. So it's kind of the relationship that evolves between those two students, Nicholas Galitzine and the main character. And it's really sensitive and beautiful film. It's got a sports element. It's got a coming of age element. Yeah, I think it's a really great film. I can't remember where I saw it streaming, but I think it is streaming, streaming somewhere for free right now. So maybe it was tubi, but yeah, try to check it out if you get a chance. Handsome Devil. Really good movie. My second double feature recommendation is an Anne Hathaway choice, Love and other drugs from 2010. Have you guys seen Love and Other Drugs? [02:33:39] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [02:33:41] Speaker A: Like, I really like this performance of hers. Like, it's. She's not the star. Jake Gyllenhaal is the star, but she's like the romantic interest in the movie. I think she's a really strong and unique romantic interest. She really holds her own in the movie. And basically, Jake Gyllenhaal is kind of a shallow kind of pharma rep in the movie. And she is playing a woman who is suffering from. I think it's Parkinson's disease, but she's suffering from a chronic illness that really makes her life difficult at times. And her kind of being able to come to terms with trusting him to be with her through that illness is one of the biggest, big themes. And I think I. I think it's a good film. I think it's. It's a good. It's an interesting exploration of a different kind of relationship, things that not everybody might have to deal with. I also think it's kind of a sexy film. Like, there's definitely. There's some sex scenes there. I think they had good chemistry in them. And it was one of the first movies where I was impressed by Hathaway's performance more than just her Persona. You know, I think her, she's always got a great Persona. She's great in Princess Diaries. She's great in Devil Wears Prada. But I think she was digging a little deeper with that. My last double feature recommendation is from director Michael Showalter. Like I said earlier in the episode, I think he's so great at directing romance. And one of my absolute favorite romantic stories of the last like five years is called Spoiler Alert. And Spoiler Alert came out in 2022. Not many people have seen it. It. If you, if you guys haven't seen it, you should check it out. Really. Like I don't think I've ever cried more at the end of the movie. And it's not a spoiler because at the beginning of the movie they tell you that the ending is not going to be happy. Okay. It's based on a true story of. [02:35:24] Speaker C: Oh yes, talent. No, go ahead, tell it. [02:35:28] Speaker A: You just, it just hit for you. Did you see it? Yeah. No. [02:35:31] Speaker C: No. Because it looks like it would rip your freaking heart out. [02:35:34] Speaker A: It does, it does. But. But it's beautiful. It's really beautiful too. It's based on the true story of this author Michael Aselio and his partner. And his partner ends up dying. And it talks, it deals, but it tells like the whole relationship. So like it's not just about how his partner gets sick and dies. It shows you their meet cute. It shows you they're getting together. It shows you their relationship problems. And it's such a sweet story. Dan Savage is actually one of the co writers of the screenplay, which I thought was pretty cool. And Michael Showalter is just so good at like just showing the human side of romance. And Sally Field is also in it playing a mom. She really great in that. Yeah, just check it out. And all of Michael Showalter's work I've enjoyed. But that Spoiler alert really has a special place in my heart. And I do want to give a quick shout out to one other show Walter movie too though, which is kind of cheating. But hello, My Name is Doris is also an age gap romance. But like it's a more one sided romance. Like it's. Sally Field's character gets a crush on her co worker played by Max Greenfield, who's Schmidt from the TV show New Girl. I don't know if you guys watch New Girl, but, like, Sally Field is great in it. It's a really interesting, quirky character. And once again, Michael Showalter is very sensitive about directing romance, about directing humans, about directing women. And it's a really interesting film. [02:36:55] Speaker B: Film. [02:36:55] Speaker A: So I love him. I think he's one of the most underrated directors working right now. All right, that's me. [02:37:01] Speaker C: Awesome. [02:37:02] Speaker B: Yeah. So my first Pick is the 2005 movie Prime. It starred Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman, and Brian Greenberg is the. Is the male love interest. It's another, like, age gap romantic comedy. And I. I picked it because I remember the first time I watching it, the. The chemistry between Uma Thurman and Brian Greenberg was so, like, intense, you know, like. So, like, you just got it, like, right away. And yeah, it's. It's really funny. Actually. I think it really goes more into, like, the comedy part of it because there's this whole, like, Meryl Streep aspect of it where she ends up actually being both Uma Thurman's therapist and Brian Greenberg's mother. But they don't know about it at first, so it's really funny and it's really, really cute. I won't, like, spoil it, but there's some of, like, the same elements of. Of the idea of you in this movie. My second choice is the Anne Hathaway One Day. That's the movie, not to be confused with the. The Netflix series that just came out, which is also amazing. This movie came out in 2011, and I love this story. Are you guys familiar with this? [02:38:24] Speaker A: I missed this one. I should have watched it. Like, I thought about watching it for this episode, but I didn't get around to it yet. [02:38:29] Speaker B: I love this story, and it's about. It's such great storytelling. It's like a different way of telling a story. It's basically about this. This couple's. And they're not always a couple, but the. The evolution of their relationship over many decades, and they keep coming back to the same day. Every year or like every few years, you come back to the same day and you just are kind of, like, thrown into what's happening in that moment, and you can kind of follow it that way, and it's so good. And Anna Hathaway has a. She's actually has a. An English accent is in this. And. Yeah, I love this movie so much. I think it's. It's very. It's. There's not a whole lot of comedy in it. It's Very, it's very romantic. And then my third pick is the 2022 Purple Hearts starring Nicholas Galitzine and Sophia Carson. And again, another, I guess you could say it's a rom com, but definitely like a romantic movie. And I was actually surprised by this movie. Have you guys, have you guys seen it? [02:39:35] Speaker A: Yeah, it was nearly one of my double feature recommendations. [02:39:39] Speaker B: I was surprised at how much I like this. I, I kind of went into it thinking like, like you said Jennifer, like, oh, is this like gonna be a step up from like a Hallmark movie? And it, it really touched on some pretty. I don't, I don't know, I kind of like lost my train of thought. But like, like current topics of injustice, I guess you could say, in our current society. You know what I mean? And there's also a, a really huge musical element to this movie as well, which I thought was like a good tie in to the idea of you. Nicholas Galitzine doesn't sing in it, but Sophia Carson sings in it throughout the whole thing. And there's actually a couple of good songs that are in this movie that I'm. That I'm surprised didn't end up becoming more popular, but there was definitely some good songs in there as well. So. Yeah, I was actually really surprised by Purple Hearts and I think it was very popular on Netflix as well. I think. [02:40:33] Speaker A: Yeah, it was. Yeah. [02:40:34] Speaker B: I think I remember it being like in the top, top movies for like a long time. So. [02:40:40] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it's also, it's a nice, a different kind of character for Nicholas Galitzine, but still like really an interesting character. [02:40:46] Speaker B: Exactly. Yeah. And he has an American accent which he did a really good job with, I thought. [02:40:52] Speaker C: I think all three of my double features, either I've double featured them or I've now streaming them. So I'm repeating myself but do it stands. So my first one I did recently with Jennifer and now streaming called Lonely Planet. It's on Netflix. It's from 2024. It stars Laura Dern and Liam Helmsworth and she is a famous author and he is a kind of a tag along to his brand new author girlfriend. They are all convening at a writer's retreat. I think it's in Morocco. So it's I like this take me away to another country thing that's going on in films. They strike up a friendship or, or none of friendship but a relationship, I guess. But they start talking. I mean, he's there with his girlfriend and so, you know. But that starts to sour over the course of the time. And so these two characters connect and she's older and he's younger. But it's not really addressed, which I kind of like. You know, they're kind of isolated in a way and. And it's just. They have a chemistry and they connect and then it's just that relationship. So it's good. I recommend it. My next one is hello, I Must be going from 2012. And it stars Melanie Lynskey. I think she's fantastic. Who else is big in it? Blythe Danner is in it, plays her mom. And she is a 30s, 30something woman, recently divorced, who, you know, she's back with her parents right now trying to figure out her life. It was a big surprise that her husband left her. And she somehow gets roped into taking care. Kind of showing around the neighbor's son who's in like 20s, early 20s, and they hook up. So you've got your age range and unlikely pair and how that all plays out. So that one's a good one. [02:43:06] Speaker A: The middle class version of that. Not the celebrity version. Yeah, right. [02:43:09] Speaker C: The middle class, but still, like, I'm older, he's younger, and what will our parents say? And so they're sneaking around and. And it's beautifully filmed. It's a low budget, kind of artsy film. And that was cool. And then from 1999, the big hit Notting Hill. [02:43:26] Speaker A: Somebody had to. Somebody had to call that up. [02:43:29] Speaker C: Julia Roberts plays this star, Anna Scott. And Hugh Grant plays this, you know, that just kind of shruggy, dorky character that he plays. He's a little bookshop owner and Anna Scott comes into his shop and anyhow, they connect and, you know, she's the big celebrity celebrity. And he's just your average Joe. And they deal with that, you know, paparazzi thing. And how can they. How can they. How can they be a couple with her flashy life and he's just a quiet English bloke. It's funny. It's got a great ensemble. I love that one. [02:44:08] Speaker A: Yeah. The funny thing is like, that's a movie that like every. Like I always think that if I watch it again, I'm gonna like it more. And I always watch it and I never like it as much as I think I'm going to. It's weird. [02:44:19] Speaker C: Oh, really? [02:44:20] Speaker A: But I don't. It's not like I dislike it, but like I. In my memory, it's always better than it is. When I watch it again, it's terrible. [02:44:27] Speaker C: See, I'm always like, it wasn't that great. And then I do watch, I'm like, oh, that really was fun. So, yeah, complete opposite. [02:44:35] Speaker A: Yeah. But definitely that was a movie you had to bring into this. Somebody had to bring it into the conversation because it's like a definite like inspiration, you know, I mean, how for sure. Think of it. Yeah. It was delightful to talk with both of you about this movie. I'm so glad to be back podcasting with you both again. I'm so glad to have you both together again. It's so great. Thank you for making room in your schedules. And yeah, in terms of the every rom com, we're going to continue the LA Stories series for a little longer. We'll be covering at least Pretty Woman and 500 Days of Summer, but we might put a few extra movies in there as well. Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any comments about the show or any ideas for future movies you would like to see us cover. And yeah, everyone, thank you for listening. Goodbye. [02:45:20] Speaker C: Bye everyone. [02:45:22] Speaker B: Bye.